Kingdom Fantasy
by Aeronox
Summary: A group of teenagers enter a new realm. A realm of light and darkness. Will they survive the encounter? Warning: Possible spoilers. Slight AU.
1. Camping Trip

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like. There will not be any actual Kingdom Hearts content until chapter 3.

**Chapter I**

It was a brilliant, summer morning in July. The weather could not have been any more perfect – there was no hint of dark clouds covering the sky, nor any stray winds. The heat, though unbearable, could not prevent a young group of females from celebrating.

"Camping! Camping! We're gonna go -" chanted several teenage girls, but were cut off by one of the boys' shrill replies.

"Camping. Yeah, yeah we know. Calm down, ladies, please... I'm trying to read here," sighed a tall boy by the name of Eden. Admittedly not as quite as wild as his fellow peers accompanying him on his trip, he felt the need to say something before the shouting would get to his head. He was busy reading a book, while waiting to arrive to their desired destination: Ferris Beach. He, along with his friend, Raven, was only going to this trip for a project they had been assigned over the summer.

Raven studied his features of almost faked composure as he went back to his book. He was an asian boy with black, spiky hair, who, despite acting calm and collected, had a goofy side. "Stop spoiling our fun. Just because you're STIFF doesn't mean we all have to be," she scoffed. Eden just laughed and gave an apologetic look.

"But you know, we really should be focusing on that assignment..."

Raven ignored him as she continued conversing with the others. It was true: she put a high emphasis on her academia, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun while doing it. She tightened the hair band of her rich, dark purple hair, twisted into a tight bun, only to be cut short from her thoughts by the shouts of the girl next to her.

"I wanna ~ SEE!" yelled the girl to Ravens's side, otherwise known as Mizu. Hyperactive at best, she was the one who had started the crazy chanting to begin with. Mizu continued to make grabbing motions toward air, to which a boy named Dyne kept from her a book.

"Alya!" cried Dyne, tossing the book toward the seat in front of him.

The girl named Alya caught it, whilst still having her headphones on. "Why are you so secretive of your sketchbook, anyway, Dyne," asked Alya, looking at her best friend dubiously.

"Geez, who cares," she shrugged, as she opened the sketchbook and revealed several pieces of sketches with the flap of each page.

"Oh look, here I am." Indeed, Dyne had drawn Alya with her gleaming lime green hair with matching green eyes, sitting on a bench. "Alya, you traitor," uttered Dyne as the group praised his art.

"I know you're having fun guys, but we're almost there," said the mild- mannered Chase. Even more calm-headed than Eden, he paid close attention to their surroundings, to which their sleeping friend, oblivious of everything that was going on ground them, did not. That sleeping friend, Gizmo, woke up with a start as Mizu tugged at the book Dyne had just retrieved back from Alya, which had landed on his face.

"Wh-what's going on?" asked Gizmo, alarmed. As the book had been opened, all he could see was the black hue of a drawing. His friend, Luna, who was looking out the window, pulled the book off him. She laughed as he gave everyone a clueless look.

"Are we there yet?"

The girl sitting in the seat in front of them, shrugged. "Beats me.." she said, as she pulled the blue ribbon off of Luna's arm, tying it to her hair.

"You know, you should stick to those buttons of yours, before you 'accidentally' tie a knot in someone's hair," advised Chase, sitting to opposite seats from them.

"Yeah, Nova, I don't want to get an impromptu hair cut," agreed Luna.

"You just stick to those buttons of yours."

Nova frowned as she tied the ribbon back in its original place, originally put there by Mizu. It was a long and boring ride. The adolescence had been planning this trip all year. Luna herself had literally been adding things to her seemingly unlimited amount of space of a backpack, and with constant bickering with their parents, were able to go.

More page flipping ensued.

"Now here's one of Dyne." Mizu grinned, gaining possession of the book once more. Sure enough, showing a picture of a boy with brownish-blond hair revealing only one light green eye, as his hair had been pushed to one side.

"You look hot, Dyne," laughed Chase, pushing his midnight blue hair to one side in mock imitation Dyne. He covered one of his purple-blue eyes. Dyne groaned, looking defeated as the others chortled.

Laughing throughout the ride, the nine could not have foretold what fate was about meet them that day.


	2. Settling In

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like. There will not be any actual Kingdom Hearts content until chapter 3.

**Chapter II**

In the midst of their thoughts, the bus had come to halt. As the bus slowed to a stop, the nine picked up their bags full of camping supplies (or well, in Luna's case, full of everything) and got off, reaching the shore of the beach. "Hurray, we're finally here!" cried Raven happily.

"Let's not forget, our assignment…" said Eden, but even he too looked tempted to splash about in the depths of the water.

"Oh c'mon, just have some fun for a while," said Chase, splashing Raven with water. Raven replied by tossing bits of wet sand at him. Meanwhile, the others began to set up camp.

"Haaa~ I just can't wait to see Blaz again…," sighed Alya, with a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, Alya. We all know you have a thing for him," teased Dyne. Alya reddened in embarrassment, as everyone softly laughed at her reactions.

"He said he'll be here later tonight or early tomorrow morning," said Chase as his small chuckles subsided.

"Every camp needs campfire!" Mizu exclaimed suddenly, running off with Dyne and Alya to collect various brush around the shore.

"NOVA, how come you're not doing anything," scolded Luna, as she, Chase, and Gizmo began to unpack everything. Nova was in too much of a daze to hear her. They had arrived a little after noon, with the sun sparkling over their heads above them. A ferris wheel was in the distance, as the beach was near a theme park. There were few people in their area, for they had tried to pick the most secluded spot possible. The spot happened to contain a lot of ocean debris – twigs, shells, and the like. She noticed a sparkling bottle heading toward shore, but as she approached it, Mizu had whacked her in the head with a stick.

"Luna says to pick up trash if you're not gonna do anything," said Raven, as she had already removed some of the debris. Nova nodded, looking for the bottle again – but she had lost sight of it.

Mizu burst out laughing as Chase, Eden, and Alya tried to put up a tent. "HAHAHA," chimed in Dyne.

"Can't you guys even put up a simple thing like a tent?"

Alya glared at Dyne.

"Oh shut up, like you can do any better Dyne." Mizu and Dyne looked at each other as they rose up.

"We're up for the challenge. In fact, I'm the ORACLE of putting up tents." Unfortunately, the tents' material landed on them, causing them to stumble backward on the shafts.

Falling flat on their bottoms, Raven and Chase sighed. They, almost professionally, put the tents up, with assistance from Luna.

"PROS," Gizmo shouted admiringly. "Yeah, they should just make a sport out of it," said Eden, shaking his head at how frustrating it really was and how easily they made it look.

"How do you guys know how to put up tents anyway?"

"Well, unlike you guys, we actually read the directions," said Chase, holding up a paper that had come with the tents' packaging. Mizu roared with more laughter.

"Mizu, you're a hyena," decided Nova, as she watched Mizu's bubblegum pink, pig-tailed hair become looser as she rolled about the ground from her mirth. Her purple eyes shown with utter glee as she threw another seashell at Nova's head.

"And you're a monkey," added Luna, as Nova held a banana from Luna's bag.

"ANYWAY," coughed Alya.

"So, we gonna chow down now, or what? I mean, look at how Nova's already started…"

"Yeah, and let's watch as Alya turn more green from eating veggies," said Dyne, looking inquisitively at his friend.

"Why'd you turn vegetarian again?" Raven, however, replied

"Cause she LOOOVES animals, duh. Go hug a tree or something, hippie." Nova, ignoring everyone's laughter at this retort, began opening Luna's large bag once more. "CANDY!" she exclaimed with success.

Luna pulled her away by the ear and told the others to watch her friend as she began sitting up the table, to which, surprising enough, could fit in her bag.

The sun was beginning to lower as each of their bellies were filled from the delicious fried rice and various other dished prepared by Luna. Before they knew it, the day was over, with the sun leaving the horizon. While Eden went to go observe the sea creatures that only come out at night at the opposite end of the beach for his project, the others went to bed. Raven stayed on her end, falling asleep from recording the data of a hermit crab.

Before closing her eyes, Luna glimpsed the bottle that Nova had seen earlier on the shoreline.


	3. Strange New Place

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like.

**Chapter III**

Still pitch black, Gizmo awoke with a start. What was going on? The wind was rattling like crazy, and the waves beating steadily. The salt air filled his nose abruptly as lightning struck.

"GIZMO!" shouted Alya. She was awake too.

"We should tell the others to get up. We don't want them to wake up all wet." It was too late, though.

Nova awoke abruptly as water splashed on to her face.

"Wrgh..?" She looked about. Everyone else looked at the beach. Eden had not returned from his night assignment, while Alya and Gizmo ran toward them. Blaz following ,unknown to Alya and Gizmo, behind them, just having arrived.

"It's.. a tidal wave!" yelled Dyne, as the tidal wave quickly engulfed all of them before anyone could say another word. Engulfed in water, everything went black.

Luna opened her eyes, brushing her dark hair away from her face, leaving the silvery and dark blue strands in front of her. _Where is everyone? _It appeared that she was in room made of complete wood. Facing her outside was a palm tree and wooden walkway leading somewhere. She looked around her as she pushed the blanket lay on top of her torso away.

Chase stepped into the room as the pushed the blanket aside.

"Oh good, you're awake. I—everyone, was worried about you." Luna merely blinked. _What happened? Oh right, the tidal wave. _

"Where are we, Chase?" Luna asked, confused.

"I don't recall any of our tents looking like this from the inside." Chase studied her composure to make sure she was alright. Then he replied,

"Step outside and take a look for yourself."

Luna, taking Chase's hand, walked outside. The sun shone as brightly as ever, as if there had never been a storm. As Chase led her down the wooden walkway to yet another beach, Mizu sprouted up in front of them.

"LUNA LUNA LUNA!"

"Uhh, hi Mizu.. where's everyone else?"

"They're helping Sora, Riku, and Kairi with their raft, c'mon," said Mizu, tugging Luna to the other end of the beach. _Sora, Riku, and Kairi…?_

As they walked along the beach, Luna observed that there was not much to this place. There stood yet another walkway to a lone island of palm trees, and on that lone isle stood a silver haired boy to which Luna never met before. His turqouise eyes met Luna's and smiled, as he began jumping about tree to tree, slashing at the air. "What's that guy doing?" Luna asked as they passed by.

"Oh, that's Riku. He finished collecting his stuff for the raft already, so he started training," Chase said, watching Luna's expression. She looked completely awed by his speed as he threw up rocks into the air and knocked each one unto the watery depths below, before it could hit the ground.

"See over there in the distance? Raven, Alya, and Dyne are collecting fish for the journey."

"What journey?" asked Luna, turning away from Riku's direction. Before Chase could answer, however, he was interrupted by Gizmo's exclamation.

"Luna, you're awake," he sounded relieved.

"We were all so worried…" He continued to whack the tree they had passed by. "Yeah, I'm up," replied Luna cheerfully, as a coconut landed and almost hit Chase in the head.

Unknown to Gizmo, Mizu was slowly sneaking up behind him. Chase and Luna discreetly glances at her. Luna was about to say something, but seeing that Mizu was holding a finger to her lips, she kept quiet.

"Yeah!" yelled Mizu as she jumped onto Gizmo, wrapping her legs around his torso, to keep him still as she fiddled around above. Craning around to the front a little, she grabbed a hold of Gizmo's hat (while still on his head) and flicked open the little device that rested upon it.

"Oh~! It's a compass!" she exclaimed excitedly as she tapped on the glass.

"Yes it is. You could've just asked ya know…" relplied Gizmo, as he tried to keep his balance.

"I'm gonna help Gizmo while you take Luna to meet Sora and the others. See you," said Chase to Mizu, grabbing Gizmo's stick and looking ready to burst out laughing.

Jumping off of Gizmo, Mizu grabbed Luna's hand and started dashing toward the upcoming shoreline. "You just gotta see the raft!"

Nova looked up from tying the ropes of the logs together, forming the raft together. She waved. Two other people, of which Luna also did not know, appeared to be with her. They were, she presumed, to be Sora and Kairi.

"Oh, she's awake! Welcome back Mizu," said the girl with Nova. Her red hair, gleaming in the sunlight, reminded her of lava.

"Hi, I'm Kairi," she smiled, bowing her head as she tied the ends of the raft together. The raft was not quite big yet, but appeared sturdy as it loomed over the fives' heads. The brown spiky haired boy, looked up and grinned.

"I'm Sora. Welcome to Destiny Islands."


	4. Message In A Bottle

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like.

**Chapter IV**

"Hi Kairi, Sora.. I'm Luna. Um, Nova, what exactly happened after the tidal wave," asked Luna. She could not hold it any longer. No one had given her a straight answer. Nova just laughed.

"Well, all I remember was that everything went black, and that we ended up here. Sora and his friends helped us up to their shack and tended to us until we woke up."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, we were worried something really bad had happened. After hearing Aero explain to us how you got here, that's when Riku just knew there were other worlds. You see, he's been doing a lot of thinking even before you got here, but now that you guys just came out of nowhere, we're all sure other worlds exist. We're making this raft here to take you guys back. You guys were at a beach, but this is a small island…"

"Raven said there is no Destiny Islands where you're all from, either, so that must mean you guys came from another world! Riku was already interested in exploring, but once he saw you landed, he couldn't help but be even more interested," added Kairi.

"Other then that, we're just as curious as you are as how you got here exactly. That must have been some tidal wave."

"Exactly," said Nova. "So, since we're here, we decided to help Sora, Riku, and Kairi with their raft. I think it may just get us back home."

Mizu chimed in. "Wait, you forgot one thing! The bottle that Nova found, with that weird message. It was carried here too."

"Oh yeah, that message," Nova nodded. She withdrew the bottle from her pocket and showed Luna the paper inside. Luna read:

_Destinies collide tonight._

"What does it mean?" asked Luna.

"No idea," Sora shrugged, dumbfounded.

"I wonder who sent it too, but nothing we can do now but work on the raft," said Nova.

"Maybe it was referring to last night…? I had a glimpse of the bottle just as I fell asleep…," inquired Luna.

"That could be it. You guys did land here late night, early morning," agreed Kairi.

"And… it appears Eden and Blaz isn't with us either…" she trailed off. Luna frowned. "That's another reason why we're building this raft – to look for both of them. Let's hope they were as lucky as we were."


	5. Developing Situations

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like.

**Chapter V**

"Anyway… since you're up now, would you like to help us prepare for our trip?" Kairi asked, smiling.

"Sure! What do I do?" Agreed Luna happily.

"I need you to go and collect some fresh water from the big waterfall at the other end of the island." Kairi answered as she gave a box full of empty bottles to Luna.

"Mkay." Luna replied smiling.

As she walked across the broken bridge, she tried to remember where the waterfall was. Absentmindedly jumping the gaps she didn't notice the loose platform until she jumped onto it, soon falling a short way into the shallow water. SPLASH…*blink blink*

"Wow that was scary…didn't expect that to happen…" she stammered as she sat in the water. Looking to her right, from hearing a rushing sound, she found a mini waterfall splashing into the sea around her.

"Aw! How cute it's so tiny…" she smiled as she got up and started to walk to the door that led to the other side of the island.

Upon reaching the little pool that the waterfall poured into, pulled off her blue socks and boots, as to not get them wet. As she waded into the water, towards the waterfall, she didn't notice the pair of turquoise eyes that were secretly watching her.

As she finished filling up the last of the bottles, she didn't notice the two tiny splashes, over the roar of the waterfall that came up behind her. Finishing the last bottle and picking up the box, she turned around and was surprised to see the silver-haired boy that she had watched earlier that day. The sudden surprise of seeing him, made her fall back into the waterfall, soaking all of her clothes and spilling the bottles all around.

"Hi I'm Riku," smiled the silver haired youth, as he held out his hand to help her up. Chase, seeing an opportunity to help someone instead of standing around, decided to go over and see if his help was needed.

"Hey guys! Need any help with anything?" Chase asked, as he stood at the edge of the pool.

"No, thank you though…Um, shouldn't you be helping Gizmo take coconuts to Kairi right about now?" questioned Luna with a confused look on her face.

"Its okay, we finished it already." He replied with a wave of his hand.

"That was fast. Maybe you could help Raven them. They seem to be really struggling there," suggested Luna, as she waved in the direction of the group's trio, seeing them struggling to pull a net of flopping fish onto shore.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later then." He replied as he waved and turned to go help the others.

"Wait!" cried Luna.

"What happened to Gizmo? He was with you wasn't he?" she continued as he turned back around.

Chase closed his eyes and placed a finger to his temple.

"Hmm…I'm not too sure. He disappeared somewhere…" he trailed off, once again turning and heading towards the others.

_"Shall we go?" I asked as I picked up the crate of bottles. Watching Luna turn around, one arm in front of her chest and the other placed on her cheek, as if she were thinking of something. She nodded then and we walked on in companionable silence, with Luna walking a bit behind in her thinking pose. _

_"Oh!" she had exclaimed as she ran up next to my side. She started talking to me then, as I took notice of her attire. She had on a strange looking, I'm guessing, rabbit hat. It had long floppy ears. It stopped about mid back and had five points on each end, with a crescent moon on the left side. Her eyes were a nice shade of sky blue. Dark black hair with blue streaks poked out from underneath, reaching about her neck, while the rest swung around as she walked, wrapped in some kind of material and tied at the end. It kind of reminded me of a tail. _

_Despite the warm weather, she wore a dark blue scarf, with silver stars sewn into it, wrapped around her neck securely. Her arms were left bare, due to her strange dress. It was strapless and had ribbons crisscrossing each other on the front. It looked like it ended about waist length, but actually extended to about her knees, crescents and stars were woven in, also. It opened at the middle revealing a smaller skirt on the inside, in the shape of the sun. Underneath that, she wore dark blue loose shorts. It was designed for free movement. Her sky blue boots reached a few inches above her ankle and had wings on the outer side. A lone blue ribbon was tied on her arm looking quite out of place._

_" -it's one of my favorite things to do when we come to the beach!. Have you ever buried one of your friends before?" she had asked as I turned my attention back to what she was saying._

_"Hmm…not that I know of. Is it really that fun?" I asked, curious as to why it would be so entertaining._

_"Aww! You're missing out then!" she said, her eyes shining brighter for some reason. _

_"My brothers and I, and our dad, would pick a nice spot to dig and we would make these really big holes in the sand. Well, big enough to sit comfortably, anyway. And then, one of us would sit in it, and the others would push all the sand back in. and after that was done, we'd pile even more sand on top and start creating something!" she exclaimed excited. __**Was it me…? Or was she starting to speak faster…? And did her voice get a little higher as well?**_

_"! I remember this one time when we made my little brother into a mermaid~ we gave him one of those tail thingies, and some female… 'assets,'" she said embarrassed._

_"We also gave him some curly female hair too! When we finished we waited to see if he would get out. And after a while we would dig a moat around him and make like, this tunnel thing that lead to where the water came in. And after we dug a hole going straight to his feet! It helped a bit cause it loosened the sand around his butt and stuff. He would complain that it felt like things were crawling all over his legs, and we would just make the hole bigger. Eventually he did come out, and he looked funny! It looked like he had on this full bodied sand suit or something!" she laughed. _

_It was so strange, the more she got excited, the faster she talked. It came to a point where I almost couldn't understand her. Thank goodness she was still human, and needed to breathe._

_"Hehe. That really does sound like fun," I replied. I couldn't believe how fast a person could get excited in a short amount of time._

_"It was..." the sparkle in her eyes dimmed. Even though the bright fire in her eyes dimmed I noticed the fond smile on her face. _

_"But, ya know, memories are the best things ever! You can live a moment in time over and over again~ Like this one time when Chase and Gizmo-"she continued. I laughed as she told me different stories of her and her friends._

"NNNGH~!" cried out a girl, with dark, rich purple colored wavy hair, held up in a bun, as she struggled to help the other two pull up a somewhat huge net full of fish onto shore.

"Why does the _FISH_ have to fight back for?" grunted out the only boy there at the moment, as his dirty blonde hair covering his right eye stuck to his face due to sweat.

"Maybe…it's _because_ we're taking them out of their habitat, Dyne?" muttered the girl with long, lime green hair, as she answered the boy now known as Dyne.

"Heh Heh, I knew that Alya." He replied as he looked up to give her a small exhausted smile.

"But you know…they are going to a better place now, right Raven?" he said as he looked over to the other girl with the purple locks. The girl now known as Raven gave a small nod and with a determined face continued to help heft their load onto shore.

The 'Trio' momentarily pause what they were doing as they heard soft muffled crunches of the sand beneath shoes. Looking up they found that some help had finally arrived, although it was a bit uncalled for, it was greatly appreciated.

"Hey, you guys need help?" questioned a breathless Chase, as he placed his hands on his knees and bent a bit to catch his breath.

"Yeah!" "Hecks yes" and "Sure" came the sarcastic remarks from the three as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Nodding his head, Chase walked up to Dyne and grasped one of his corners. Together the four slowly trekked across the beach towards the area where the others were most likely waiting.

Upon reaching the other part of the island, and crossing through the shallow water they came upon a slightly raised part of the island, where a tall wooden structure rest. Peeking over the edge, Chase's expression turned slightly mischievous as he spotted, right at the bottom of the structure, a sleeping Gizmo, completely knocked out. Temporarily stopping the others for a moment, he picked up a particularly medium sized fish, he took aim and…

_**SPLECK!**__ Something slightly slimy and smelling of fish hit him squarely in the face, and was currently flopping around on his stomach, obviously looking for escape. Short spiky dark grey, almost black, hair, playfully tossed around on the breeze as dark grey-blue eyes looked around sleepily, trying to find out who had thrown the fish at him. As he looked toward the area with the wooden bridge he couldn't help but notice the four pairs of laughing eyes staring up at him._

_"Come and help us Gizmo~!" cried Raven as she held up the corner she had been pulling. Nodding, I brush the rest of the drowsiness out of my eyes and stand up bringing the fish along with me._

_As they neared the area that held the hand crafted raft, they came upon Luna and Riku sprawled out on the sand with water bottles littered around. One looking surprised with her hair messy from the fall, while the other had a silly smile upon his face. The others around just stared as they stilled their previous actions of stacking the pile of coconuts and just relaxing._

"Hahaha~!" burst out the laughter of Luna as she ran her fingers through her loose hair, to put it back in place.

"You should've listened to me when I said it was my turn, Riku! Now look what happened…" She said happily as she got up into a kneeling position, and started to pick up bottles around her.

"Mhmm, I can hardly understand it being your turn when we were already here." He chuckled, as he too started to pick up bottles around them.

"I…I wanted to give them to Kairi…!" she stated, with an embarrassed pout on her face.

Everyone laughed softly. It was just like Luna to want to argue over something silly.


	6. Fun and Games

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like.

**As a warning, because of all the new characters introduced, POV's will change constantly. Whenever there are sections with italics, bold italics, or just bold will be different character views. **

**Chapter VI**

The sun beat down on them in a pleasing way as the soft sounds of the ocean floated up towards them. Being a few hours just after noon Sora, Kairi, and Riku relaxed upon the Paopu tree. They had just finished today's preparations, and were taking a short break together; a bit away from the group they now called friends.

"So…Kairi's world is really out there right?" inquired Sora, as he leaned backwards and questioned to nobody in particular.

"That's right. Now that Luna's group has landed we know there are other worlds out there." replied Riku, a cool confidence and determination shone in his eyes as he stared out to the ocean.

"But, how far will a raft take us?" Sora questioned back, leaning forward a bit to look at Riku.

"Who knows?" he replied, as he gestured with his left hand. "If we have to we'll think of something else." He stated, gazing off into the distance.

"So," piped up Kairi as she, too, looked towards Riku. "Suppose you do get to another world…What would you do there?" she asked, as she let out a small laugh.

"Well, I haven't really thought about it." he paused. "It's just, I've always wondered, why we're here on this island. Out of all the possible worlds out there… Why did we end up on this one?" he stated as he turned to look at the others.

Turning back to the ocean he started to talk once more. "This place seems like just a little piece of something much greater. So…we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else right?"

"Mmm…I don't know…" supplied Sora as he turned on the limb, to comfortably lie on his back, as both of his legs dangled on either side of the tree.

"Exactly!" quietly exclaimed Riku, as he brought his arms down to his sides and gazed out at the ocean.

"That's why we need to go and find out." Getting up from his position he walks towards the edge of the little island. Glancing over to the eight young teens lounging about the beach, he noticed one out of the seven were puttering around a table (probably the one they stored in the shed) making something over a portable stove, while the others lazed about in the sand.

"Just sitting here won't do a thing. It's the same old stuff!" he declared. Sora looked over to him, as Kairi looked up shaking her hair out of her eyes.

"So let's find them together! All of us…" he decided, resolution strong in his voice. Still looking over at the group, he noticed how everyone started to get up from their lying positions. Through their body language he could easily see that they were getting excited about something.

"You've been thinking a lot lately haven't you?" inquired Kairi as she turned and smiled softly towards him.

"It's thanks to you, you know, and the others as well. If you guys hadn't come here, I never would have thought of it." He glances back toward her "Kairi, thanks." His voice was sincere, as he threw a small smile her way. He soon relaxed into his original position, satisfied with just enjoying the view, in the company of heis friends.

"Hmph…You're welcome!" she replied cheerfully, as once again everything returned to a comfortable silence, with the exception of the excited group down below.

(Mizu)

_Boring! Boring Boring booorrrriiing~! What exactly is there to do here? It's such a wonderful day! The sun is shining, the wind is giving nice, gentle breezes, and we are on a beach for goodness sakes! Yet, here we are lying down on this warm comfortable sand… it is rather nice, though. Augh! That's not the point though! On such a wonderful day we could be doing soo many fun things. Like a nice heated game of sham battle, or even water fight! Yes! That sounds like so much fun right now! I'm betting Luna would have something in her bag to play with._

"_Guys! Let's play roll call!" exclaimed Gizmo rather enthusiastically. One thing I never really got about Giz was his outfit. Seriously, why would anyone wear a long sleeved coat thing, pants, and high boots in the summer? Well, I know I wear tights in the summer, but it's a thin material so it not so bad. Maybe his coat and pants are made of thin material also…I guess that could explain why he never seems to mind or even sweats much. I'll find out one day for sure! _

_Everyone laughed at his suggestion, except for one. Roll call, after all, was something we 'played' during sleepovers to find out who was sleeping. "For the last time Gizmo, it's not a game!" Raven called out, as she sat up to lightly glare at him, slight annoyance clear in her voice. Raven's outfit was similar, I guess, in a way. She wore a collared sleeveless vest/shirt (no one really knew), with a silvery-grey tank top, made out of some kinda weird sturdy material over it, like an armor or something. She had a tie around her neck, loosely tied. Covering her arms were these glove things. It didn't really cover her hands, but it looped around her middle finger, covered the top of her hands and went up all the way, just a bit past her elbows. She had pants and boots also, but her pants were more…clingy to her. Like my tights! She had bandages here and there, more for decoration than anything else. Oh! And her star pin that held her deep violet hair in a bun! It's such a pretty pin… _

_Alya piped in then, "Seriously though, let's play something…" her lime green hair fanned out beneath her._

_Yay! At last, I'm not the only one who thinks so! Out of all of us…I'd say Alya was the most poetic in a way. Hehe~! She has her quirks too. She has a thing for zippers and belts! She has a zipper ring and earring and the jacket (currently tied around her waist) had zippers on it. And on her waist and thigh were the belts. Mmmm…she has a big thing for denim also…under the jacket was a spaghetti strap top outlined in orange, and covered in flowers. _

_At this point I couldn't help but listen to Luna's rhythmic cutting. It was kinda makin me sleepy sleepy…Distant laughter and voices appeared when I closed my eyes. A small ball bounced around my mind then, each bounce coinciding with each chop of Luna's blade. _

"_Hacky guys! Let's play hacky!" I gasped out, as I quickly got up and turned to the others, bubblegum pink hair and ribbons briefly obstructing my view at the quick action. The exclamations of agreement were like music to my ears. Finally! Something fun! _

"_Hey! Why don't you guys invite Riku them also? I'd bet they'd have lots of fun too," _

_suggested Luna as she tossed her cut vegetables into a pan with some hot oil. _

"_I'll get them!" I cried as I quickly got up and ran to go look for the other four. Waaaah~! _

_This was gonna be sooo amusing! _

"_Don't get distracted and make us wait too long, now, Mizu!" Raven's voice faded as I got farther away. I laughed and gave a carefree wave as I went in search of Selphie first. _

_(Kairi)_

_**Upon the spot we were resting on, we could hear the calls of that one bubbly girl, Mizu. "Kairi, Riku, Sora!" she cried, accompanied by the thumping of her shoes on the wooden planks. We all turned to look at her then. Her hair was flying behind her along with the tails of her dress. Excitement clearly shone through her lavender eyes. **_

"_**Guys! You gotta come play with us!" she exclaimed as she slowed to a stop. "It'll be so much fun I promise!" she continued as she grabbed my hand and jerked me off of the tree. Her strength surprised me…she was so skinny…how was she able to pull me off so easily...then again I'm just as small. Maybe that's why. Haha~ then again maybe it's just her enthusiasm. She always seemed to be hyper after all. I was given some time to regain my balance before she was off again, semi-dragging me behind her. I was having a hard time keeping us. She was so fast! **_

"_**C'mon guys!" I laughed. I didn't want to be the only one to go. A small fear soon filled me as we continued on. She wasn't serious was she? **_

"_**Mizu wait! Can't we take the stairs instead?" I exclaimed as I stumbled behind her. **_

"_**Don't worry; this way is faster and more fun! Jump on three 'kay?" she grinned at me…I wasn't so sure about this girl anymore…maybe she was secretly suicidal or something. I couldn't help but wonder when she was going to start counting, as we got closer to the shack and finally started running on it.**_

"_**THREE!" she shouted as we jumped into the air. Well, it was more like she pulled me into it. I wasn't quite ready after all. Where was the countdown I was expecting? Overcome with the feeling of weightlessness and butterflies, I couldn't help laughing as we landed next to the waterfall near the shack that housed the stairs leading to the Paopu Island. I wasn't too sure if I was laughing because I'm still alive, or because it was fun, but it sure felt good. **_

"_**Haha~ C'mon Mizu let's go!" I laughed as I dragged her this time. Riku and Sora slowly trailed behind us. **_

"Sora!" yelled Riku as he tossed a yellow object at Sora. Turning Sora caught it just before it hit him in the chest. "You wanted one didn't you?" he continued as he pointed at the object.

"A paopu fruit…?" Sora inquired, confused.

Walking past Sora, Riku replied. "If two people share one their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each others live, no matter what," he paused.

"C'mon. I know you want to try it," he teased, as he waved his hand in the air nonchalantly.

"What are you talking-!" Sora starts, only to be cut off from Riku.

"Ahahaha~!" Riku bursts out, as he starts running off the bridge to join the others.

Looking at the fruit Sora then hesitantly tosses it off the bridge, and starts after Riku.

(Raven)

_Finally! We could start. It wasn't as long as I'd expected it to be though. But then again, I guess I should've expected it. Mizu was one of the fastest runners in our group, aside from Dyne. _

"_Have you guys ever played a game named Hacky before?" asked Alya, as we all turned our attention to their very confused faces. It was so obvious that they have never played it before. _

"_Don't worry, we'll teach you," stated Gizmo as he patted Sora on the shoulder. Before hand, we had all agreed that I would do the teaching, since I could break it down into easy short, understandable, lessons, while we all demonstrated along the way. With this I started._

"'_Kay, the object of this game is to, basically, hit the ball as many times as you can, with only the use of your feet, mostly." I explained. Making a motion with my feet, as if I was about to hit it. _

"_Mostly" Riku butt in, as they looked on intently, while listening also. My, was he an impatient one. I was just about to get to that point. "Yes, mostly. That's, because you can also use your head, hat, chest, knee, and other items on hand. Like a jump rope for example. As long as the user has a really good control over it and doesn't hit anyone. Nothing big and bulky like a bat or a bag." I replied. Definitely no bags. After all, we don't want to have a repeat of that one time Luna almost clocked out Nova, swinging her shoulder bag around. _

"_Oh, okay" said Sora as he leaned back a bit and put his hands behind his head. _

"_Can I use this?" asked Selphie, as she held her 'nun chucks' in the air. I swear, they reminded me more of a jump rope than anything else. Now that I look at it again, it really was a jump rope. Where does she get off calling it a nun chuck? It looks nothing like it. Fortunately, Alya cried out an answer before I could state my opinion and potentionally start a lengthy debate. _

"_Definitely," she said, shifting into a more balanced stance. Getting along with my explanation, I continued._

"_The best part of the shoe to use, is this," I stated, while tracing the inner part of my shoe with my fingers. It's the part where the arch of the foot is. Deciding to demonstrate, I tossed the little bean bag (procured from Luna's bag) into the air and proceeded to hit it a few times before catching it again. "This is the most common way that we play. The main rule; no hands. Now, the other ways that we're about to demonstrate are not the only ones. There are probably more out there somewhere, but, these are the ones that we know. Ready, guys?" _

_Making sure that everyone was ready, I tossed the bean bag into the air and jumped a bit before hitting it. It flew over to Nova, who wore lots of red…her hat was puffed upward a bit and hanging around the sides, with a button decorating one side. She had on a red button up shirt with HUGE buttons. The shirt ended just above her hips. You would have been able to see her stomach if it wasn't for the fact that she was wearing a white tank top under her shirt. The tank top was tucked into her red short-shorts, which were held up by straps and big buttons yet again. On all of her buttons the threading formed big x's. White gloves and high ankle red and white shoes finished her outfit. Oh yeah, and the monkey tail…she was sooo obsessed with it…I'm betting she 'forced' Luna to sew it on or something. One thing she was good at while playing hacky, was being able to hit all the high shots. Extending her foot out and leaning back a bit for balance, Nova hit the bag, with the tip of her shoe, towards the person across from her. _

_Who was our coat wearing friend, Gizmo. He was one of the most optimistic guys we have, along with Luna and Mizu. Along with his coat and pants, he had a huge pocket watch that was usually kept in an outside pocket, with the end connected to a loop on the inside of his coat, and the chain hanging out in the front. Let's not forget his hat now. It was a cap with a brim that curved upwards and had a shiny, domed happy face. Which when opened, contained and old styled compass. Catching the hacky with the brim of his hat, he paused for a moment and flicked it to the side to the seemingly unsuspecting boy near him. _

_Which, just so happened to be Dyne. He wore, a black sleeveless t-shirt that had a skeleton shaped TV. on it, with a rainbow. Around his hips he wore a shorts type overall, that went just past his knees. He never liked having them all the way up, so the top half always hung around his waist. On his feet he wore…ninja sandals…? I don't know what they are, but they covered most of his feet and went up past his ankles. They were checkered of course, along with the bandana around his neck. He currently had his hat on also, seeing as he didn't want to leave it on the ground. It was one of those hats you wore when it was snowing, with the fur lining. With the fast reflexes he had, there was no trouble for him to easily knock the bean bag towards the person across from him, with his signature move. Twisting his leg outwards he hit the hacky with the outer part of his shoe rather than the inside. Sending it careening into its next victim. _

_Chase was prepared for it though. He wore nice, dark, striped pants, with a zippered hoodie that had a skull on a bottom corner. His sleeves were currently rolled up and on his right arm showed a skull tattoo that Alya dared him to get one year. He had on plain blue and white sneakers and a visor on his head, which also held a skull in the middle. A long belt hung to one side and on his hands were black fingerless gloves that also had a skull adorning the back of each hand. Doing his usual, Chase whacked the hacky in the most common way possible to the girl next to Dyne. With the exception of the foot that did the hitting in the front of the other leg, it was in the back, instead._

_Mizu was ready for it. Moving forward a bit, so that she was under the ball, she chest bumped it just enough so that she could easily hit it back into the air, right towards Alya. She had a thing with catching the hacky on the tip of her shoe. And that's exactly what she did. After catching it snuggly, Alya flicked the ball into the air and hit it just hard enough to reach back to me. _

_Catching the bean bag in the sir, I turned to see the shocked faces of the others staring at us with awe. I couldn't stop the grin appearing on my face then…I wanted to laugh so badly! The look they were giving us was like they were meeting professionals or something. We are not professionals after all, just friends who love to play. _

"_It's okay guys! You don't have to worry about not hitting it, or even being able to do the things we just did. We've been playing for years! Most of this stuff just comes from instinct and reflexes anyway." grinned Mizu. We all laughed a bit she was right, we have been playing for a long time…_

After the instructions were done, the group decided to let the beginners practice a bit before they all played together. While the newbies practiced, they played a round of records, with the exception of Raven who was overseeing the practice of the others, making sure they knew what they were doing. Records, as a game, explained the goal in its name. Being that you hit the Hacky as many times as you can before you miss.

Their best player of this game was Mizu, with a score of about 150, with Raven and Alya right behind. Raven with a bit over 120 and Alya about 110. Following them was Dyne, with a score of about 80. Eden and Blaz were after, getting scores that circled 70, but not quite making 80 yet. Luna was the runner up then, although she ALWAYS seemed to mess up at 50, no matter what she did. No one knew if it was a coincidence or if she did it on purpose. Chase came after getting just a bit over 40. Gizmo followed with a score of about, 35. Nova, unfortunately, always seemed to come last, getting very close to 30, but not making it.

As soon as their round of records was done, they called the others over so they could finally get their game going. The smell of cooking food surrounded them.

"Mmm…Luna's making something good again…" sighed Alya, as she turned her nose up into the air. Nova, too, lifted her nose and smelled the aroma on the breeze, along with the others.

"It does smell good…" she muttered as she turned to look at the one not currently playing with them at the moment. Luna had her hat off and sitting on the side, along with her scarf, for safety reasons. She seemed to be baking several things, wrapped in foil, held on a wire mesh, above the fire. On the table sat a bowl of some kind of vegetable stir fry and hopefully a pot of some kind of stew. There was also a pot of freshly made rive and cut up fruits, next to a bowl of creamy rice pudding. After a few moments of enjoying the smells, their game started. It had to be one of their longest games ever. Selphie, being very adept with her nun chucks, would keep the mini bean bag within the circle of people. Unfortunately, the reach is limited. A wet hacky wasn't very nice to play with when it sprayed you with water, every time you hit it.

(Luna)

_Phew~! I finally get some time to rest…Hanging around a fire gets tiring and not to mention, kinda hot also. I don't really mind though, because seeing the smiles of the ones I care for, as they enjoy my food, makes me so happy. A little help would be very much appreciated though… I like to play games with everyone too! Just cause I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't mind… I really wanna play too though…I just…don't want to interrupt their current game, it's been going on for a while now and I don't want them to start over just cause I want to butt in. How I know this? Unfortunately, I'll never tell…it's easier to let them think that I don't know what's going on, when, in fact, I do know. Ignorance is bliss after all. My current dilemma? Trying to figure out how to let them know the food's done, without intentionally stopping the game. _

_Seeing an opportunity, I quickly tied my scarf and hat together and ran as fast as I could. Doing some quick calculations in my head, I jumped and threw my hat as hard as I could. It flew past the airborne bean bag. Flicking my wrist in I quickly pulled my hat in, so that it didn't get all wet. Smiling brightly, I turned to see the awed faces of my friends. I almost laughed at how silly they looked. Oh my…this was almost as fun as that time when…Wait a minute! Getting off track here…_

"I didn't think that would work!" laughed Luna, as she took the hacky out of her hat. "What, are you doing here Luna?" asked Dyne sarcastically, a small smile adorned his features. To the four, who had just met him, he sounded very rude and shot him a confused glance. '_Weren't they all friends?_' was the thought running through their minds.

"Hmm…just wanted to say…that dinner is ready if you guys want~," replied Luna a silly grin on her face. She burst with small giggles, then, as her long time friends cheered and made beelines towards the table.

(Luna)

_Turning to the four that were left behind, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. They had such funny "what just happened?' faces. They were so cute! I really just wanted to hug them! Unfortunately for me, they seemed to be like most of my friends. The only person I could actually get a hug from was Gizmo. I loved his hugs! They made me all warm and fuzzy…that's why I love hugs! Not a lot of people like to do that with me…holding my urge back, I instead went up to the two in the middle. Turning them around, I started pushing them._

_(Sora)_

"_**C'mon guys! There's no harm in just snacking and hanging out with us right?" grinned Luna as she forcibly pushed Kairi and I towards where the others were eating. "Riku, Selphie! I expect you guys to eat just a bit also!" she called back toward the other two. **_

_**It felt so strange to meet someone so openhearted. We just met today and she treats us all like family. It wasn't unpleasant…but rather…out of the ordinary? Yeah, that's it. We couldn't help but laugh though, at her antics. Letting us go and rushing forward, she cried out. **_

"_**No! Wait! That's for dessert!" as she waved her arms in the air. It's great how this strange day ended so nicely…**_

Later that evening, Luna decided to go on a little walk. Having seen Sora toss something over the bridge earlier that day, she went to see if anything was still there. Seeing a little green sticking out, where the water was lapping on the shore, she went over and dug into the sand a bit. She stared in awe as she pulled out a star shaped fruit.

"Waahh~! This is sooo cute! Imma save it." She quietly exclaimed as she carefully placed the fruit into her bag. Satisfied with her find, she walked back to the area where the others were sleeping. A lone star blinked out, just as she closed her eyes and turned in for the night.


	7. Tournament

**Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

Thanks for reading! Please look at my profile to view the link to my deviant art account to see a general idea of what the original characters we created look like.

**Chapter VII**

"Gawrsh it sure seems awfully quiet in the castle today," said a tall black dog clad in silver armor to his companion, a duck in blue wizard's robes.

It was a typical day in Disney Castle. The marble walls of the castle were as white as ever as the knight and the mage sat down to relax for lunch in the castle's hedge garden, the courtyard. Each hedge was trimmed after some of the symphony members that played for the king and queen during parties and their arrival when they entered Disney Town for events. In the center of the hedge garden was an exact replica of Disney Castle, hedge form, with decorative hedge bushes near it.

"Of course it's quiet, Goofy… The castle has very few visitors unless there's a party going on. And if there's a party going on we'd know. We ARE loyal subjects to your majesty after all," said the duck. Birds were chirping as the duck went to lean against the cow that looked like it was playing cymbals over its head.

"Let's go check up on him, Donald …" suggested Goofy.

"Why?" frowned Donald. "Nothing ever happens here, it's always so peaceful."

"Ah-hyuck … I dunno, it's just I'm worried about the King." said Goofy, looking worried.

A slight breeze blew a leaf off a nearby bush. Goofy watched the leaf fly a short distance as it hit the ground to the castle's soft grass.

"Aw phooey! You're ALWAYS worried about the King," quipped Donald, as his eyes were half closed. His head was already on the cow's leg as he went to try take a nap.

"C'mon Donald," insisted Goofy. "This time I got a bad feeling that somethin' is goin' on."

Donald opened one eye as he grabbed his hat that he had laid down beside him in preparation for sleep. "Okay, fine Goofy. But if nothing has happened to the castle or king or anyone else I'm coming back here to nap for the rest of today and you can keep watch of everything." It was normally Goofy sleeping in the Courtyard, but Donald was feeling especially tired today.

Goofy smiled at Donald with his two buck teeth as he watched his duck friend put on his hat. Unlike normal dogs, Goofy could walk on his two feet. He had long black floppy ears and was quite tall. Donald looked pretty much like a regular duck except he had a stern demeanor and wore clothes.

They headed across the hedge garden to the hall, walking by broomsticks with arms, carrying buckets.

They reached the doors to King Mickey's domain. The doors were huge, but a small rectangular field yielded the entrance. The grand hall, otherwise known as the Audience Chamber that had King Mickey's throne consisted of a single red carpet. It was a big space that was generally used to hold parties, and other royal organization meetings.

A single red tapestry of velvet hung down from the ceiling before the throne, in the silhouette of King Mickey's head. Brilliant marble columns adorned the walls of the King's Chamber.

The throne was empty.

"Your majesty is probably in the library," shrugged Donald. Goofy furrowed his brow in concern as they headed to the library.

Goofy entered the library to only discover it was empty besides for a yellow dog named Pluto at his regular corner in his basket, fast asleep. Unlike Donald and Goofy, he did not wear clothes but instead a green collar. He, too had black floppy ears and a big black nose, similar to Goofy.

On the table was a pot with a sole flower in it, paperweights, a lamp and a few papers.

"Look, there's an envelope in Pluto's mouth," said Donald suddenly, surveying the area. It was enclosed with the King's seal. Goofy reached to pick it up, but it was tightly wrenched between the dog's mouth. Donald quickly did a lightning spell near Pluto to quickly wake him up a second. Pluto opened his eyes abruptly dropping the envelope from his mouth onto the floor and then turned in his basket, quickly going back to sleep. Goofy opened the envelope. Having initially holding the letter upside down, Goofy flipped it right side up reading:

_Donald_

_Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I had to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it. There's someone with a "key" - the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him. Got it? _

_We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction._

"WHAAAT?" exclaimed Donald, exasperated. Goofy continued reading.

_P.S. _

_Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal. - Mickey Mouse._

Minnie and Daisy, Donald's love, walked in as Goofy read the last part of the letter. "Tell me what?" asked Queen Minnie. Daisy had her hands on her hips.

As Goofy handed the letter to Daisy to be read out loud again, Donald sighed. He did not want to worry the others and was planning on just leaving with just Goofy.

"Oh dear! What could this mean?" blinked Daisy, showing her purple eye shadow. She was in her usual purple dress adorning her tiara.

Minnie in her queen red dress with also a tiara replied. "It means we'll just have to trust the king." She had her hands clasped over her dress. She was a black mouse with big bright round eyes. She did not look the least bit surprised at Mickey's disappearance.

"Gawrsh, I sure hope he's alright," said Goofy.

Donald crossed his arms. "Your highness! Don't worry. We'll find the king and this "key."

Minnie looked a bit relieved. "Thank you, both of you."

"Daisy, can you take care of-" started Donald. Daisy cut him off. "Of course. You be careful, now, both of you." She, too, was a duck.

Minnie gestured to the desk. "Oh, and to chronicle your travels, he will accompany you."

Donald looked at where Minnie gestured. A jumping insect was on the table. They had not noticed him before.

"Over here! Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket, at your service," said the bug. He wore a top hat and a black fancy leather coat. He removed his hat and bowed to Donald and Goofy. The appearance of Jiminy Cricket's arrival that day was why Minnie did not look too shocked at the King's leave. He had showed up saying that his world was swallowed up and was willing to help out in any way possible. She sensed a foreboding and knew, because King Mickey was always quite virtuous, that he would have his head up in it if he was not involved already.

"We hope for your safe return. Please help the king," said Minnie. Donald put his hand across his chest in salute to the queen as a determined look entered his face. Goofy, standing right next to the two maidens also put a hand to his brow in salute with a look to match Donald's.

"You're coming, too!" said Donald bossily, pulling Goofy with him to the hall.

They walked down the winding steps to the hangar below the castle.

"Gawrsh, Jiminy, your world disappeared, too?"

Jiminy rode on Goofy's knight helmet. "It was terrible. We were scattered." _Clink Clink_. Goofy's armor could be heard as they walked down the spiral steps.

"And as far as I can see, I'm the only one who made it to this castle," continued Jiminy.

"Goofy.." interrupted Donald.

"Oh right," said Goofy. "I gotcha. While we're in other worlds, we can't let on where we're from."

They were almost at the bottom. "We gotta protect the world border."

"Order," corrected Donald.

"Right. World order." said Goofy chuckling. Donald sighed.

They reached the dark hall to the hangar. Dim, magenta glowing lights in the silhouette of the King lit the hallway. "I guess we'll need new duds when we get there, huh?" said Goofy.

They walked down the tiny steps to reach the same floor as the ship they were going to ride in. The ship at the center of the room was mostly red in color, with two yellow missiles on the side and white wings for flight. The top of the ship had a blue clear semi-sphere. The cockpit of the ship.

Like the castle, the hangar was another brilliant piece of work in itself. A giant cog was in the room as well as a giant hand moving about. There were several little cogs all about. The noise in the room made it sound like they were in a clock.

A saxophone looking instrument was glued to the ground near the ship, with the blowhole being bigger than normal and the hole where the music would normally come out was emitted with a bright light. The saxophone had a third mouth piece to it that extended to the hangar's platform. Donald spoke into the saxophone.

"Hello up there? Donald Duck to launch crew! Anytime you're ready." One of the saxophone's many pipes extended to a box on the hangar's side.

Two chipmunks wearing cargo aprons with the King's insignia and work gloves were in the control room. Chip and Dale was their name. Chip had a black nose and Dale had a red one. Chip saluted as Dale pulled a lever. Smoke piped up from hangar's sides as other cogs in the hangar began to move faster. The giant hand grabbed first Goofy (looking chipper and eager) and then Donald (upside down, with his arms folded), placing them into the cockpit of the ship.

The doors to the hangar burst open as Pluto followed Goofy and Donald, making it just in time before the cockpit to the ship closed. Minnie and Daisy stood at the platform preceding the ship. Donald gave Daisy a thumbs up and winked.

The doors to the ship's platform opened as the lights on the ground to the takeoff platform went off.

"BLAST OFF!" yelled Donald, pointing his finger toward the exit. An arrow appeared pointing forward. Minnie and Daisy gave the knight and wizard one last look, as the ship exited from the hangar from below.

"AIYEEEEEEEE," exclaimed Goofy and Donald in surprise, not expecting the launch off point to be underneath the ship, as they set off into space toward Traverse Town.

* * *

><p>"Make my eggs over easy, mommy," said Nova, talking to her mom. "You know, with the yolk inside." <em>Sizzle Sizzle<em>. Just as Nova's mom was about to reply, Nova opened her eyes again to only find herself in a sleeping bag on wooden surface.

'Oh yeah,' said Nova, reminding herself out loud as the salt breeze flew into her face. 'We're on Destiny Islands."

She sniffed the air around her. She could definitely hear the sizzling of eggs. The aroma of pancakes, bacon, sausages filled the atmosphere as she propped up from her sleeping spot. Everyone's blankets and knapsacks were all scattered and put on the side. The sun was just barely above the horizon as Nova went to join her companions.

"Did you save any for me?" asked Nova to Luna, as she saw Chase handing out the plates. A soft thud could be heard as Nova turned around. Mizu had jumped down from a tree nearby with two coconuts in each hand. She clapped Nova on the back. "WHERE WERE YOU? Everyone was either helping Luna with breakfast or helping Sora and his friends prepare for their trip."

Raven was giving out the utensils as Alya looked out toward the ocean, looking distant as she was eating the food on her plate. "She was busy sleeping, that's what," said Raven, giving her a look. Gizmo was placing even proportions on everyone's plate.

Mizu quickly grabbed Gizmo's pocket watch to check the time. It was only 8:00 AM, but Nova was normally used to waking up around noon in the summer.

"Come eat Dyne," said Luna, as Dyne was drawing happy faces into the sand nearby them. Dyne grabbed his plate from Chase. Eggs, a crepe, a few strips of bacon and links of sausage, plus a tiny stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup and a small piece of butter covered the surface of the white china.

"Yweah it's gwood," said Nova, her mouth full with pancake already. Bits of pancake were coming out.

"Remember your manners," sighed Luna, as Gizmo handed Nova a napkin. "Sorry," came her muffled reply as she wiped her mouth and swallowed a chunk of sausage.

Sora, Riku, Kairi, and another friend, a girl by the name of Selphie, came by to greet them as they finished eating up.

"I made you guys plates too," said Luna, but Riku held up a hand. "Thanks Luna but we ate already."

Riku looked really impressed at the whole setup at how Luna had somehow managed to fit several plates, a big picnic blanket, utensils, and more into her bag. "What's this?" asked Sora, picking up a folded brown golden piece of bread.

"That's a crepe," answered Raven. "I'll try it," grinned Sora, handing one to Kairi. Riku really wanted to eat more of Luna's cooking, but unfortunately had a big breakfast that morning. He helped himself to some of the tiny sausages and a strip of bacon to be polite.

Sora bit into his crepe with strawberry jam on top. Kairi had raspberry jam on her's. "I ate already too but it smells good," Selphie complimented. The remainders of their plates went to Chase and Gizmo, who ate the most out of the eight.

After finishing cleaning up, Sora and Riku gave each other smiling looks. Kairi giggled as she knew what they were about to tell them. They had discussed this morning on the way to the island on what to do with their new friends.

"Hey guys," said Riku. "Since you made it really easy and got all our provisions for exploring, we were discussing on teaching you guys a bit of swordplay."

Selphie coughed. "This is gonna be so unfair to you newcomers though. Riku's so good… He beat me and Sora at the same time!"

"We wanted to try a tournament," continued Riku. Sora beamed. "This time I'll beat Riku for sure!"

Sora looked determined. Kairi giggled again.

Pulling out a paper and pencil from Luna's bag, Alya wrote down the names of all nine of them, excluding Selphie, who played with her jump rope instead; Kairi, a cheerer on the sidelines; and Luna who refused to take part in such an aggressive game. ("I don't wanna accidentally hurt someone!") She was to be the referee and start the matches.

Sora and Riku showed them the motions of swinging. "See, swing upward if someone tries to spring attack you." Luna listened to bits of instruction and watched as the two boys showed the motions of swordplay. They had gone to the shack to get everyone their weapons. An hour went by when everyone got the gist of how to wield the wooden swords.

"Hm only nine names," said Alya. "Write my name in twice," suggested Riku. "I'll go 2 matches since I'm the undefeated champ of the isle."

"We'll see about that," said Sora, ready to go. To win the match was either by "knocking out" their opponent (falling on the sand), or by disarming them of their wooden sword.

Gizmo took off his hat with the compass stuck to it as he shook it around with all the papers with names on them.

"The first match is…" said Gizmo, withdrawing 2 tiny folded papers at once. "ALYA VS DYNE!"

Dyne keep jumping about as Alya dug her heels into the sand trying to spring blow by blow to Dyne. Unfortunately, she kept missing, no matter how much force she was willing to put into the blow to knockout her opponent. Forty minutes went by as Alya began huffing.

"Keep still Dyne!" cried Alya, getting frustrated. As another minute passed by, Alya threw her wooden sword at Dyne, who dodged. "Ahh I give up," said Alya, annoyed that Dyne was so agile and swift.

"The winner is DYNE!" said Luna, raising her arm in signal to conclude the match. Dyne smiled smugly as Gizmo pulled out the next two names.

"NOVA AND RIKU NEXT," said Gizmo.

Nova smiled. She liked challenges, and she always found swords really cool. So cool that - Smack_. Wait - where was her sword_?

While Nova was busy with her own thoughts, Riku had smoothly whacked the sword out of her hands. "You should be more alert next time," advised Riku, as Kairi and Selphie clapped. "Whaaat," said Nova, disappointed. "That match wasn't even a minute long."

"Oh well there's always next time," said Chase as Gizmo withdrew the next two names. Gizmo was happy as he withdrew his own name, but frowned as Mizu was his opponent.

"I don't feel right hitting a girl with this," said Gizmo. "Aww c'mon," said Mizu. "This is gonna be fun!" Gizmo did light swings as Mizu dodged each sword swing.

They were moving all around the beach and going all around the place. Mizu jumped really high and then did a slide against the grains of damp grains of sand against the ocean.

"Mizu's so fast," Luna commented.

Finally, with another recoil of Gizmo's which left him vulnerable to attack, Mizu shifted quickly around Gizmo before he could turn to block her blow, knocking Gizmo to his feet. His sword had also escaped from his hands, landing in the sand near him.

"Wow Mizu's so good," said Gizmo, putting his hands up in defeat but laughing. His knees were a little scraped from the fall but the sand was soft. Riku observed Mizu's technique, knowing he might very well end up facing her.

"MIZU WINS," Luna said, giggling too, even though she was against such a violent game. "So far no one has really gotten hurt so that's good."

"One thousand, four hundred twenty three…" Selphie counted. She was playing with her jump rope from a safe distance as they were all watching the matches. "Wow Selphie you really are into jump roping huh," said Chase, coming by her for a moment, away from the matches as he waited for his name to be called. He was amazed at how many times she could go at it. "I love jump roping," grinned Selphie as Gizmo called Riku and Raven's name next.

Being both aggressive combatants, Riku and Raven did not spend nearly as much time dodging but rather deflecting each others quick, strong blows.

_Hmm she's pretty good too_, thought Riku. But… "**THIS IS IT**!" said Riku jumping up at a height that even Mizu couldn't reach due to his tallness and skill. He dived down at Raven. Raven could not escape in time so she ran back a little space to gather momentum to parry Riku's devastating finisher move.

Raven closed her eyes. _CRACKKKKKKK_.

Both swords splintered and broke apart.

"Wow," Sora said, shocked at the results of the match. "I guess it's a tie."

Luna looked wide eyed at the both of them. "TIE!" she declared, looking at the two. Riku gave Raven a thumbs up. "Wow you're pretty good. I'll c'ya in round two I hope."

Raven beamed. "That match was awesome."

Riku did not notice that he had a little bit of wood cut into his arm. Luna gasped, and called his name, pointing at the tiny wounded area as she rushed to her bag to aid him. "It's nothing, really." said Riku.

Kairi raised her eyebrow at Riku as she turned to Sora and whispered something to him. Sora shrugged in response as Luna gave him a tiny band aid for his arm.

"It's only a tiny bruise," Riku insisted.

Raven had a few blisters on her hands but was overall alright. She was, however, sweating from such a heated battle.

Gizmo chuckled. "Hm speed matches and strength matches I wonder what's gonna happen next.." Nova handed her sword to Raven as Riku went to get another sword from storage.

Gizmo pulled out Chase and Sora's name next, the only two remaining names.

Unlike every other battle, Chase and Sora's was a mix of dodging and sword swinging. They blocked a few of each other's blows and took a few hits each. Looking at the audience at Kairi's face for a brief second, Sora slid on the wet sand as Chase delivered a blow.

Sora jumped up to dodge but did not land so neatly as he staggered, eventually getting his big yellow shoes stuck in the seaweed nearby, his head falling face first into the ocean. His sword had fallen out of hand.

"Sora you big dummy," giggled Kairi, rushing to help him up as Sora shook his wet spiky hair, looking surprised at his sudden lost. "You got careless again."

"CHASE WINS!" said Luna.

"Wow," Alya commented. "That one was really close.. I'd say they were about even in swordsmanship… almost. I think Chase got a little lucky.."

"The sun's really high up now.. What time is it?" asked Nova suddenly.

Gizmo looked at his pocket watch. "It's 11 now."

"Oh!" said Luna. "I gotta make lunch~!" Kairi smiled. "I'll help!"

Selphie finished her two thousandth jump as she agreed to become referee while the two girls would cook on the other end of the island.

To speed things up a bit as lunch was only an hour away, the group agreed to end the tournament with a series of tag team matches. The winner of the tag team match would face Riku and his chosen partner, Sora. "I guess I'll try beat you another day," sighed Sora in disappointment.

Gizmo withdrew the names of the two teams. Mizu was partnered up with Dyne while Raven and Chase's names announced their side.

"Wow this really did become speed versus strength!" remarked Gizmo.

"LET IT BEGIN!" cheered Selphie as Chase tried to make a quick dive at Dyne. Dyne avoided pretty easily.

"Oh man this is gonna be a long one," said Alya, remembering her match.

"We'll see about that," said Raven, hearing Alya's remark as she tried to outmaneuver Mizu.

Raven and Chase went back to back as Dyne and Mizu seemed to be encircling them.

"SO FAST!" said Luna, looking up at the match every now and then. Kairi was also impressed as she helped Luna prepare.

"I'm gonna get dizzy from watching this," said Selphie.

Nova laughed as Mizu stopped to taunt Raven a bit. "You can't catch me!"

The others were all on the bridge watching the match from a safe distance in their tiny arena.

However, as the course of the match went into several minutes, Mizu's pattern changed and she was nowhere to be seen.

"WHERE IS MIZU?" said Dyne, looking around for a split second in concern for his partner.

Whack.

Dyne's weapon was smacked out of his in his brief moment of being worried about his partner, leaving him susceptible to Chase's quick blow. Dyne had been defeated.

Raven looked around too as she could not find her opponent.

Mizu dived at Raven from above. Raven could not block the blow in time. "Owwww!" said Raven, her eyes watering. She was still in the match however. Chase dealed a blow to Mizu just as she disappeared from the two's sight. Mizu was using the trees as they had chosen Riku's mini isle to be the spot for round two matches.

For every blow Mizu tried to deal toward one of the two, the other partner would be able to deal a single blow to Mizu as she had to recover from each hit. Eventually she lost due to being outnumbered, two to one.

Selphie clapped. "Well, that was exciting!" She gestured to Chase and Raven. "WINNERS!"

Kairi came back from the isle to hand out the watchers some mochi and daifuku. "Lunch is almost ready."

As Nova helped herself to a mango mochi, the juice inside squeezed out inside her mouth. She loved Luna's cooking and could hardly wait as she watched Sora and Riku brace their selves for the final match of the tournament.

Chase and Raven gave each other reassuring glances as the midnight blue haired boy murmured, "Let's do our best."

However, since Sora and Riku were already used to each other's moves and techniques, they already had a few moves of their own together.

Kairi noticed Riku acting strangely as he delivered another successful blow. She managed to get a glance from Sora, who gave a knowing smile.

Sora thought to himself as he remembered what Kairi said to him earlier. _"Don't you think Riku's acting a bit… too tough? He's more headstrong than usual." _

Kairi looked up from Riku to where he was glancing at.. Across the island to where Luna was finishing up cooking. She returned to Luna as Riku would make occasional glances in Luna's direction. Sora, in his naiveté had interpreted Riku's acting tough as just another way of teasing Sora at how he was once again gonna lose to Riku in the sword fight today.

_He keeps glancing at the food_, Sora thought to himself. He dealed another blow to Chase. _Riku sure must be hungry_. _I better wrap this one up, _Sora concluded, launching another swing from his sword.

After eating her fifth mochi (_green apple_!), Nova tapped Alya on the shoulder and suggested they help Luna out with lunch. The two set off across the bridge to where Luna and Kairi were cooking.

Riku did another swift hit on Raven as he heard from the distance of Alya scolding Nova to stop eating before the whole meal was prepared. He turned his head in that direction yet again while trying to dodge Raven's retaliation.


	8. Fascinating

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. We don't own anything except the plot and the new characters.

**Chapter VIII**

A young girl of about seven knelt next to a fraying blue backpack. It seemed as if she were trying to stuff a whole picnic into the poor little bag. Little juice boxes and small bottles of water were shoved among school books and folders. Packages of snacks and candy were also placed inside. Small bean bags were packed into one of the many side pockets. She continued her work, pushing aside things and placing more within. Finally satisfied, she carefully zipped up the bag, mindful not to force the zipper too much.

She was dressed in a pair of dark blue PJ's decorated with mini stars and crescent moons. Her hair was a medium length that fell until mid-back. Pulling a brush though her black hair, highlighted with silvery-blue streaks, she yawned and climbed into bed. Before turning onto her side and snuggling into the plush pillow, she counted the many glowing stars that were decorating her ceiling, before turning over and falling asleep. Hidden in the shadows stood a small boy, with sea green eyes, he watched silently as the scene changed.

It was a bright and sunny day. Big bunches of clouds floated in the sky providing tons of shade for those under it. Strong cool breezes flew about, keeping the heat of the day at bay. A little girl and her entourage took refuge under a huge leaning tree. Some climbed its sturdy branches and taking a seat, while others preferred the ground around the giant topiary. The small female being among those who had climbed, set her bag next to her along the trunk of the tree.

The bag seemed to be bursting at the seams. Opening it carefully, she proceeded to take out some drinks and snacks. Then, tossing or passing them to those that staked claim on the goodies. The little boy with the sea green eyes jumped up onto the tree. Taking careful steps, he went over to where the girl was sitting and took a seat next to her. In this place, she was the only familiar thing, even though no one could see him, and the fact that he hasn't even been able to talk to her. He sighed deeply. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see a napkin bundle and aluminum can thrust under his nose.

"What?" he started. The fact that the girl he had been watching, is looking at him, was a bit surprising. Maybe he hadn't been invisible after all. "This is yours, why are you offering it to me?" he inquired. He watched as she gently shook her head and gave him a small smile.

"It's ok. You see my friends over there, the one in the red? I always bring an extra one for her. So I can just eat that one. She'll understand." She responded, pointing in the direction of one of her friends. Who was currently stuffing her mouth with a green piece of cake.

"Why…?" he asked. A completely confused expression crossed his face as he accepted the offering.

"Mommy always told me to take care of those around me. That it doesn't matter who or what they are. We are all brothers and sisters of the heart. Although I don't really understand what that means…" she scrunched up her face. "I don't mind much though. When I give up things for them and see them smile in return, I get filled with so much happiness, I feel like I could fly or something!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air. "I'm just hoping one day they will do the same for others, as well." Smiling fondly and once more, she looked up towards the boy. He was a little bit taller that her after all.

"C'mon, try a little! I know you'd smile if you do~." She grinned up at him. Looking down at his hands, he placed the drink off towards the side for now. Carefully unwrapping the napkin, he found that a piece of…cake was it? It was lying innocently in the middle. The cake was a creamy green in color and swirled, with a thin strip of cream coating the inside of the spiral. "It's a green tea Swiss cake! It's one of my favorites…" supplied the girl as she looked up at him expectantly.

Staring at the foreign cake, he made a face and hesitantly took a bit out of it. The pastry was surprisingly good, despite the interesting flavor. It was actually refreshing in a way. A mildly sweet yet creamy flavor with a hint of tea assaulted his sense of taste. The cake itself had a dense sort of moistness to it that seemed as if it melted in his mouth. Looking up with wide eyes, he gave a wide smile.

"It really is good."

* * *

><p>"<em>-na…Luna…!" whispered a concerned voice, as someone gently shook me from my memories, not wanting to alert the others. It's been such a long time since, I've thought about that dream. I wonder why it popped up all of a sudden, considering the fact that I had it during my elementary days. Strangely, the only thing I could ever remember about that little boy was his sea green eyes and that silly yellow vest he wore. <em>

"_Ah! Sorry Kairi! I was just having a moment…" smiling gently at her I passed her a few containers from my bag. A few of my other cooking equipment were already sitting on the table; my friends took out this morning. Watching her go over and place the items upon it, I couldn't help but smile knowingly…she kept eying the small box-like structure, spinning something around and around in it. The box was about 1 ½ feet in height and width, and about two feet in length. One side was a glass door while the other sides were colored all white. On the top of the container were dark, white stripped panels. Mom got me one of these for the trip along with a few other knick knacks and whatnots. Seeing her turn around with a confused glint in her eyes, I interrupted, knowing what she was about to ask._

"_It's a solar powered oven~ it takes the rays of the sun and converts it into energy to use. In this case it's to roast the cow I put in it earlier this morning. It functions just like a regular oven; it just needs the sun instead of electricity." Grinning I handed her more plastic boxes. Before our camping escapades, I had to take a day to prep all the food…that way all we had to do was cook it. Although, it usually just ends up being me doing the cooking and the others doing what I tell them to. If they want to help out that is. _

_After Kairi took the containers, I rummaged around my bag again. __**There they are!**__ Turning around just as she got back, I held up two aprons. "I don't know about you, but I tend to make messes…most of the time." Laughing I handed the one that was a lavender color, with little butterflies flitting about. Putting on the other one, which was a dark blue with white rabbits all over the place; I looked over to the other girl. She stood in front of the table, unsure of what to do._

_I couldn't help but think that maybe this was her first time. Walking up to her I gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry! Teaching how to cook is my specialty. You'll do just fine I know it!" grinning at each other I began the learning process. It seems that showing her the basics and having her try them out, made it easy for her to understand. She was a great student, with her determination and then confidence to guide her, and my occasional advice. Watching her, I realized that I wished I had the same amount of confidence as her. _

* * *

><p>While cooking, the two girls would occasionally look up to watch bits of the match. The red head was the only one to notice the frequent glances of one silver-haired boy. <em><strong>Riku would never let food distract him from observing another's battle, so why…<strong>__?_ Thought the girl as she glances to the other one next to her, who was mixing together some kind of dessert; it consisted of fruits and some kind of white jelly. Gears seemed to turn in her head as she thought of a plan to see if the dark haired girl likes anyone.

"Hey Luna, considering the tournament, who would you cheer for?" She asked, curious. The other female stood up from placing an air/water tight container in to the pool beside them.

"Everyone, of course!" Standing up with a different container in her hands, her lips turned up in a cheeky smile. "Well, I … um…don't like to pick favorites…so I usually go for the person who seems to be losing." Blinking owlishly, Kairi couldn't help but think. _**Well, that plan failed miserably… **_"I like to do my best to treat everyone fairly…although; I do get pretty selfish at times." Giving a shy smile she gently offered what was inside the now open container.

The red headed girl poked her head over the top of the rather large container. Seeing that it was halved down the middle, separating two different types of mochi; on one side were many assorted colors, while the other was a plain white. Deciding to be on the safer side, she picked up a white one and popped it in her mouth, chewing. A wonderful color of flavors burst throughout her mouth. The strawberry on its own was very sweet. Coating it was a thin layer of honey and then the bland white mochi over it.

"It's good huh?" the other girl beamed. "I had to deviate from the original recipe, since most of my friends don't like the sweet red bean paste…" her voice came little downtrodden. Taking a plate form her bag, she placed some of the modified ichigo daifuku on it. "This way we don't have to worry about not getting any later!" She exclaimed as she placed the cover on the box and passed it to Kairi. "Can you take these to the others? It's just for them to snack on for now, that way they're not super hungry later." She asked. Nodding the slightly shorter girl took the container and walked over to those watching the battle between the first set of teams.

The battle between the four friends seemed pretty heated. They were fighting in pairs. The cool headed, midnight haired Chase, and the violet haired, studious Raven, was against the two fastest in the band of friends; Dyne and Mizu. The hyperactive girl, Mizu and the dirty blonde, Dyne, easily outmatched the other two in speed, but lacked in the amount of power that they had. Unfortunately that speed didn't help them very much, since they weren't working together. Once the strength pair knocked down one of the teammates, the other followed soon after.

"Lunch is almost ready!" exclaimed Kairi a big smile on her face, as she held out the box of treats from Luna. Everyone took a small break before the last match to rest and munch a little on the small treats. Kairi stayed for just a bit longer to watch the beginnings of the next match. Riku started the match by launching a flurry of attacks upon Raven, who just barely had a chance to block or dodge them all. Jumping back he looked up and was caught off guard, as he searched for something off to the distance. Getting smacked in the arm had him refocusing on the battle at hand.

She looked towards Sora, and shortly locked eyes with him; they each gave the other a knowing smile. Although the short haired girl suspected that they were thinking of totally different things, concerning their somewhat distracted friend. Walking away, Kairi had high hopes of winning the race that the three of them were going to have later that day. After all, the boys had to be tired after all the fights that they participated in. She didn't want to have to deal with some weird boat name like Excalibur or Highwind…

* * *

><p><em>Seriously? I couldn't believe what I was seeing…or well not supposed to be seeing, that is. Nova and I came down here to help with finishing the rest of lunch. But all I'm currently seeing right now was that monkey tailed girl, not so subtlety picking on all the food… Stirring the veggies that Luna gave me I couldn't help the reprimand that passed my lips. "Nova! We're supposed to be helping, not stuffing our faces!" This girl, I swear… Despite my earlier views, it was a bit comical to see her trying to eat the food without anyone noticing it. She was the one that wanted to help too…<em>

"_Haha~! It's okay Alya, she just won't get any food, later, if she continues." Chided Luna, a dark undertone was laced in her voice as she started to put together the sandwiches. The sandwiches consisted of juicy roast beef with sautéed mushrooms and sweet onions, mixed with just a bit of gravy. The mixture was placed between two pieces of toasted bread. Mine was special though, being that I'm vegetarian. I'm glad that Luna didn't forget about me and my condition. My sandwich consisted of the vegetables that I was currently cooking, with vegetable based gravy. _

_Nova hearing the threat in Luna's voice decided to finally stop trying to consume everything and help out, like she had originally planned. She spooned some kind of fruit and jelly dessert…almond float was it? Into small bowl/cups, while Kairi and Luna started to wrap the bottom halves of the sandwiches. I think it's, to keep the inside from going all over the place. _

_Following their lead, I fixed up my sandwich the same way. Some salad was made on the side, in case anyone wanted. Finishing up the preparations, we cleaned the dirty dishes and helped to put them in Luna's bag. I watched as Kairi's eyes got wide at all the seemingly random things that were going in there. Covering the food, we went to watch the end of the last battle. _

* * *

><p>Balmy breezes surrounded a small group of friends. Battle noises filled the air as the spectators watched intently on the goings on. "Riku's toying with her…" commented the red headed girl that wore a white spaghetti strap outlined in the same lavender as her skirt.<p>

"How can you tell?" asked a long, light green haired girl with matching emerald eyes, named Alya. She, like the others was watching the bout closely.

"When he fights with Sora, he doesn't do all those fancy flips and counter attacks. He-! Ah! Just like that!" exclaimed Kairi as Riku, flipped into the air, spinning so that he had easy access to the girl on the ground below, and giving her a good whack on the shoulder. A change of pace was noticed between the competitors when the more seasoned combatants started to get the upper hand.

Riku was pushing the purple haired girl, Raven, back with swift forceful strikes. On Sora's side, he and Chase seemed to be evenly matched. That is, until he started to launch short rapid strikes towards Chase's weaker spots. The darker haired boy could barely keep up with the fast strikes, with his diminishing defenses. Getting a hard hit to the chin sent him flying a few feet away, looking as if it hurt a lot. Not to mention that harsh landing on his back. A huge grin from the spiky haired boy signified that he had won. Holding out a hand he helped Chase back on his feet; together they walked off to join the others on the sidelines.

Raven being better at powerful strikes than speedy ones, was having a hard time keeping up with Riku's attacks. Parrying and dodging as best she could, she unfortunately didn't anticipate for the older boy to get within her struggling guard.

"This is it!" Riku shouted, as he quickly disarmed her and sent her falling unto the sand.

"Sora x Riku win!" cried Selphie from the sidelines. All around sounds of cheers and encouragement erupted. At this time Mizu excitedly went around and started to cover everyone in a spray that smelled of fresh citrusy fruits. While doing this she yelled of lunch being ready and hooraying as they all made their way towards the awaiting food.

* * *

><p>(Chase)<p>

_Savory melt in your mouth beef with the sweetness of the onions and earthiness of the mushrooms, assaulted my senses. A hint of gravy was detected with the slight nutty flavor the warm toasted wheat bread provided. _

_**Waaaah! Boy have I missed this…**__I couldn't help the wistful smile from crossing my face. Nostalgic feelings were bubbling up after all. This was one of the things that I missed the most since Luna and I broke up. She loved to cook so every other day she took turns with her mom. _

_We had decided to stay friends because of our many differences, and all the fights we used to have. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time together, but there were too many disagreements in the end. Despite the separation, I can't help the lingering feelings that keep popping up. _

"_So…tell us more about yourselves." Came a voice near me. Sora was sitting there, with a smile on his face looking at us expectantly, as he took a bite of his sandwich. _

"_You mean our likes, hobbies and stuff?" asked Alya's voice to my right. _

"_Yeah!" exclaimed Kairi, excited. _

"_Maybe we should go around in a circle, then, so it's easier for everyone," I suggested staring at Luna, trying to signal her to take the initiative. I couldn't help noticing that she was sitting comfortably next to Riku. This was a bit strange for her. Considering, the fact that she was usually very uncomfortable around new people. Besides she usually sits between Nova and Gizmo. I knew she was about to ask me something very obvious then. Her eyes locked with mine with a questioning look as she placed her still full spoon, back into her bowl of dessert. She started._

"_Why are you staring at me like th-" _

"_Oh…God! She's having a blonde moment guys~" teased Dyne playfully, laughing lightly as the we tried our hardest to hide our own small amusement. _

"_O-Oh! You wanted me to start…" embarrassed she hid part of her face into her scarf. Her cheeks turned a nice, pleasant pink color. "Um…Well," she started. "I like to cook of course!" She smiled gently. _

"_Luna's baking is the best though!" Mizu added, taking a sip of juice from her almond float. _

"_It's not that good…" commented the other girl, turning her head away, a tiny unnoticeable blush rising on her cheeks. "Anyways, my family and friends are very important to me. If you mess with them, you'll have to deal with me!" As funny as it sounds...she's pretty protective of us, when the need arrives. "When there's time, I like to sit down and read books. I love to stare up at the night sky and watching the clouds during the day~" she sighed, dreamy eyed. When it comes to music I like to listen to things that relax me, things I can sing along to that'll both keep me up and put me to sleep. I also love cute little bunnies…" she finished. _

"_No," I interjected. "You obsess over them~" taunting her, I gave a knowing smile. _

"…_yes! Yes I do!" covering her eyes, she started her fake crying, ranting all the way. "I just love those long ears, whether they're floppy or not. And their big feet are just so fun to play with! Ahh~! Not to mention their, oh so soft, smooth, cuddly cuddly fur!" she continued with a fond smile._

_Despite the act she really did love rabbits. Glancing over to the girl next to her, I just couldn't stop the grin from crossing my face. Luna is sooo going to get it! _

"_I-I just want to hug-" chortled Luna as she was interrupted by the annoyed girl next to her._

"_Luna, Shush your mouth already!" cried Raven as she gave the rabbit lover a good shove sideward. Right into Riku's lap, as he ate a spoonful of dessert. Laughing whole-heartedly, she seemed to be very comfortable in her position. _

_ "Need something?" Riku asked playfully, as he grinned down at her. Luna's eyes shot open wide, as she bolted upright from his lap. Only to fold into herself, clutching her head in one hand, while the other rubbed circles on the top. _

_ "I-I'm sorry! A-are you okay?" She apologized, turning to look at the person whose chin she just crashed into. She was always worrying about the other hurt person, before she worried about herself._

_ Riku, who was rubbing his chin, nodded an affirmative; a smirk crossed his lips. "Haha~ you're easily flustered huh?" laughing amiably. _

_ "That and she's really gullible too sometimes…" Nova stated, scooping up the last remains of her almond float, only to grab another helping. _

_ "Nova!" came Luna's cry of disdain. _

_ "Stop teasing her already, guys. It's Ravens turn." declared Alya; coming to the girl's defense. "Thanks Alya" came the grateful reply. _

_ "Luna, what did I say? It's my turn now." chastised Raven, as she started. "I like dragons! The ones that can fly, not those land ones that just stomp around on the ground. The ones that swim aren't so bad either. Games where you use medieval weapons, like swords, spears, and bows and arrows. When Luna's baking cookies, I like to help, especially the ones that require cookie cutters. It's so much fun! And then, there's striving to be the best!" She exclaimed. _

_ "Yeah, in athletics and academics," laughed Gizmo. He was right though, she was the best in those departments but when it comes to cleaning or actually cooking, be prepared for a disaster. She wasn't super bad at them…but, let's just say, that it needed some hard work. _

_ Nodding enthusiastically, Mizu exclaimed, "Sleep! Don't forget that!"_

_ "And your love for craziness, too!" laughed Gizmo, his lips turning up in humor._

_ "What are you talking about? I hate crazy people! I'm normal okay!" exclaimed Raven in denial. _

_ "Nu-uh! Remember? We've had this conversation before. As a person, no one is normal. We each have a set of individual differences and uniqueness. If we as people were normal, then individuality is a myth! There can be normalcy in actions. Like when everyone sleeps, they sleep in a position comfortable to them. Or simple things, like, how everyone brushes their teeth, or even running their fingers through their hair." Luna expressed, nostalgic. _

_ "How are you normal anyway?" teased Dyne. "Remember that one time at the park with the water balloons? How you stuffed them in your br-"_

_ "Shush your mouth Dyne!" Raven exclaimed loudly, before anymore embarrassing things could spout from his mouth. "I know that, okay? I just…I just want to be normal…" came her feeble explanation. Blinking rapidly, Raven rubbed at her eyes. _

_ "Haha~! It looks like she's ready to sleep again!" Mizu playfully elbowed the other girl. _

_ "Mmm…She does like her sleep." Alya commented in a playful tone. Raven did like to take her naps. Much like how Gizmo does, only she does it when we're not really doing anything. Hm…? Seems like Mizu's really excited…_

_ "My turn! My turn!" came her high pitched cries, as she bounced around in her seat. I swear, it almost always seems like she's on sugar or something. "I love the colors of the rainbow! I like to play with ribbons, especially those gymnastic ones. I like how you can make them go round and round in spirals! And running! Gotta go fast~." exclaimed Mizu energetically. _

_ "Let's not forget climbing trees and random structures, and then jumping off of them." I commented dryly. Mizu liked to do __**soo**__ many random things. A lot of times it was entertaining, and others you wonder, __**really**__? Sometimes, I wonder when she gets serious, or if she even does… I remember this one time we were on our way to school together, and she plucked a rather nice looking leaf off of a bush! Passing it to me, she said to keep it as a sign of our friendship. I couldn't tell if she was pulling my leg or not, but I decided to keep it anyway. _

_ "Yes that too." She nodded. "And bullies~ I hate them! If I see them I'll beat teach them a lesson!" She stated aggressively. "One day, when I'm older, I will join the army and protect the weak!" Fiery determination filled her eyes, her fist thrust into the air. _

_ "Woah! Calm down there, It's my time to shine alright?" a smirk crossed the dirty-blonde's face just before he was interrupted by the others. _

_ "That's so easy Dyne, you like to play games and drawing." interjected Alya. She calmly took a sip of water as if she hadn't done something wrong._

_ "Don't forget, he likes to snack on things as well. Oh! And the random things he tends to pick off of the ground." added Gizmo; finishing his sandwich. _

_ "And chocolate, he __**hates**__ that…" emphasized Nova. Finishing off the rest of her dessert she grabbed some left over mochi; this time a peach flavored one._

_ "Thanks a lot guys…now I don't have anything to say!" sighed Dyne, a bit miffed. A glint flashed through his eyes as he slyly looked to Nova, through his peripherals. "Well, since Nova is next… She likes to go to those fancy café's where they have pastries and coffee/tea. She also like to eat yogurt, surfs the web a lot and listens to music. But the types of music vary depending on her mood." _

_ "What? No! I like to go to cafés in general. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive…" affirmed Nova. "I also like to play video games, like you Dyne." She finished, helping herself to more mochi. _

_ "Nova doesn't like people who put others down to make themselves feel better." supplied Luna; seeing that Nova was focusing more on the remains of the leftover mochi. _

_ Those two girls, Nova and Luna, were practically sisters. They had similar likes and dislikes, but their personalities went opposite ways. Luna was more touchy feely and often times liked to hug people. She restrained herself for us though, cause she knows not all of us like to hug others. We do make exceptions though, like on her birthday or holidays. She also had a tendency to put others first and is very expressive. Nova, on the other hand, doesn't like a lot of human contact. She also keeps to herself, mostly. _

_ Gizmo was next. In a sense, we are kinda like brothers, like how Luna and Nova are 'sisters'. We know what the other person likes and doesn't like. We can sometimes finish each others sentences also. We are close enough to tell each other deep, dark secrets and not have to worry about the other spreading it around. _

_ Every one stared at him expectantly. "I like to learn new things. Like stuff that can help others and things that are just good to know. And…I dislike negativity. I can tolerate it though. Haha~ That's it, I can't think of anything more!" he laughed. _

_Hah…he's so modest. He can do way more than that, but he doesn't like to show off or brag. _

_ "Giz is a well rounded person." provided Raven. "He can cook basic things; like eggs, bacon and sausages. Playing the piano and singing along to it as well. He can also fix electronics and do a whole bunch of other stuff!" she finished, grinning._

_ "Mmhm… He likes to live on life. Always making the best of everyday, and making it count!" added Luna; stretching out her legs, and leaning on her arms. A fond smile crossed her face as she looked downwards. _

_ "Well, I guess it's my turn, huh?" stated Alya. "Mmm, I like to sing, acting out in plays, and reading books on magic!" she started. _

_ "You do like to read those huh, Alya?" I asked, never having the chance to before. _

_ "Yeah, I think it's cause there's a chance that I might be able to do it." She clarified._

_ "Magic?" inquired Sora; his curiosity elated. I'm a bit surprised, they've been so quiet up till now. _

_ "Yes, magic…Where we come from it's abundant everywhere. It's in the plants, the ground beneath us, and even the air we breathe!" exclaimed Alya. "There is a condition for it though. Only those pure of heart and intentions can harness the power of magic. That's why where we live, there are so few that can use it, cause a lot of people are selfish and would use it for personal gain." She explained. _

_ "Why is that?" a confused Kairi asked. _

_ "It's because, back in the old days, hundreds and hundreds of years ago, dark wizards were common and not a lot of them used their magic in the right way. Because of their selfishness, they started a war… It's actually tied in to a legend that Luna knows very well." Gizmo said, giving Luna a pointed look._

_ "What? Why me?" she asked an incredulous look on her face. _

_ "It's because you know more than we do. Considering that the legend was passed down in your family." explained Raven, as if to a child. It's true though. Because Luna is a direct Descendant of one of the original warriors who fought in the war, as tradition the legend is passed down from generation to generation. _

_ "Haaa…Okay." Luna sighed resigned. "Let's see…In the land of Celescerne, in the time that the land was still whole, there were thirteen kingdoms. There were eleven on land, one floating on the sea, and one in the sky. People lived in harmony, governed under the light. Everyone and anyone could use magic. Despite this many people did not care to learn magic; content with their simple hardworking lives. Those who excelled had an abundant amount of light magic in them. They often shared their blessing with others, and spread their light all over, spreading joy and happiness everywhere."_

_ "But this didn't mean that there weren't those that have seen this power and wanted to harness it for their selves. These people became dark magic users and caused chaos wherever they went. Using magic for their own selfish reasons, they hurt others for their personal gain. Realizing this, one person took a stand. To not cause alarm to those around and especially, those insatiable self-seekers, they kept things underground. Only those who had proven themselves were chosen. This person was able to see the light in a person's soul and measured the person's loyalty and faith before making any decisions. Using this, said person started to use this test to gather close companions with the same ordeals. Granting this power to twelve others, they gathered followers and believers of the Light that were willing to fight."_

"_Not only did they create an underground army, but this new leader went and sought out the thirteen maidens of heart. These females did not know their title, and went about each day normally. Twelve of them were said to have the purest of heart, while the thirteenth, was called sovereign and had the most radiant heart of all. When all thirteen were brought together, the shining illumination of the sovereign of heart will bind them all together and open the door of light, if they so wish. But, if a person were to forcefully take these lights, they could open the door themselves. This was only possible as long as they had the power over all the hearts. Thus, the reason why the leader was trying to gather them; to provide protection from the dark magic users. Though, not wanting to imprison them in a cage, the leader gave them a choice to fight for their freedom, to help with the first aid/healing, or to wait on the sidelines; protected in a castle."_

"_The war lasted for many, many years. There were little survivors for the warriors of light, but they had won. Five females, seven males, and one mice-like creature made up the last thirteen. These warriors were later named the Knights of heart. Because at the last moment, they protected the thirteen maidens of heart, who came together in hopes of using their power to seal off the light and protect it from those that wanted it for greed. They weren't only named knights of heart because of this but also because they fought their hardest for the light; one that everyone could still share."_

"_Because the maidens had sealed the light from those who were selfish, the only people who could use magic were those pure of heart and intention. Meaning that it was only to be used for others, by people who put the well being of those around them before their selves. Not only was the light sealed, but the land was broken into many parts, and the world was splint and the pieces that fell away were never seen again. The peace was only made to last until new, strong willed warriors came together to gather the pieces and make the world whole once again." Finishing the long story, Luna smiled, glad to be done. _

"_What Luna failed to mention, was that, anyone who was a descendant of a Knight of Heart, were able to perform magic, as long as they had the heart for it." Dyne included, smirking at the relaxing girl. _

"_Yeah, and what Alya means is that, since it was so long ago, the bloodlines are super diluted now. So, almost anyone could be qualified. The only reason why we know Luna's a descendant is because it's mandatory in her family line, to tell this legend to their children, in hopes of keeping the truth alive." nodded Raven. _

"_Hey, ya know, my grandmother told me a similar story when I was younger. There were people who fought for the light and because of it; the one world was split in to many." commented Kairi, a thoughtful, look on her face. _

"_Well, since we are on the topic of magic…would Luna's bag happen to be magic as well?" examined Riku, eyeing the bag out. _

"_That's right, because Luna naturally stuffs a lot of things in her bag; they tend to only last a year. Then her mom has to buy a new one. Because of this, her mom got her the magically enhanced one instead. It turns out that she has a distant relative that can use magic. The bag can fit anything in it, as long as it can fit through the mouth of the bag." I explained. _

"_Food can be put in there for up till a year before they start to spoil normally." added Dyne._

"_Yah! That's why she doesn't like to keep fresh meats and whatnot in there, cause if we don't eat them then it gets forgotten, and makes her bag all yucky smelling…" Mizu chimed in._

"_Yup, that's why she usually brings just enough of them, so that we can finish them off more quickly. She usually likes to bring more of the fruits and things, they're her favorite. Before we get into anything else though, let's finish introductions, since I'm the last person…" I sweat dropped. Boy did it take forever to get to me! Then again it does take us forever to finish simple things together. "Um, let's see…I like good food, specifically Luna's when I can." I smiled, seeing her blush a deep color. I can't believe I can still do that…maybe she has lingering feelings as well…? The weird, look Riku gave didn't go unnoticed, especially, by Sora and Kairi. They both sent each other knowing looks. _

"_I like to generally have fun and just observing things." I said, thinking of all the times I used to watch Luna eat. It would always make her embarrassed, but I liked it. You could tell when she's really enjoying something and you could tell she had a real passion for food. "Above all other things, I absolutely __**hate**__ spiders!" Staring at the ground I couldn't help but think that they were the creepiest things ever!_

"_Don't forget mommy~ you like to take care of us too!" exclaimed Mizu laughing excitedly. _

"_Mommy?" asked the other four. (Sora, Riku, Kairi, Selphie)_

"_It's his nickname. Because he was always nurturing and took care of us like like a mom, we named him that." explained Gizmo. _

"_So, was there a Daddy?" Kairi inquired, as she looked at everyone. _

"_That was Luna." Stated Dyne; folding up his used items from lunch._

"_Only cause they used to go out!" stated Raven, as she too, started to gather her things. _

"_Yeah, we're not going out anymore. There were way too many differences, and the fact that we started to fight a lot, didn't sit well with both of us. So instead of breaking up and never seeing each other again, we decided to stay friends." I finished. It would have been kind of weird if we broke up, not wanting to see the other, but still hung out together. These people were our second family after all. Sometimes I wonder though…what would have happened if Luna decided she didn't want to see me at all? She was friends with everyone longer than I was. It wouldn't have been fair for her to abandon her friends just cause she never wanted to see me again. But I wonder what I would have done…if I had to leave them. Would I have made new friends, or become a loner? Swirling thoughts clouded my mind, as everyone finished their lunch. _

* * *

><p>A comfortable silence covered the group. "Do you guys really think we'll be able to find Blaz and Eden?" asked Alya softly, in a concerned tone. Looking towards her feet, a frown slowly marred her features. Despite the circumstances and the fact that, everyone in the band of friends was worried about the two missing people in their group, Alya was more concerned for Blaz. Nova being closer to the other boy was, more concerned for Eden than the rest of the people. Nova and Eden knew each other way before the boy had joined the little band of misfits.<p>

"I'm sure of it. If you guys came from another world, just like Kairi, then they probably just got separated along the way, and ended up somewhere else." assured Riku. Alya nodded, turning her face away, still seeming a bit unsure.

Luna seemed to feel discomfort in the tense atmosphere. Deciding to break it, she took a deep breathe and nervously smiled. "Hey guys! Why don't we clean up now? That way we can finish all the things we want to before dinner comes around."

"Oh! That's right! We still have a few things to do before tomorrow, right guys?" answered Kairi, turning to look at the two boys on either side of her.

"C'mon Sora!" complied Riku, gathering his things and giving them to Luna, who had procured a plastic bag from her shoulder pack. The others too, gathered their things and disposed of them. Gizmo and Raven went to help with the remaining dishes and tossed the used water into the bushes, when they were finished. From there everyone just agreed to do their own things and to meet up at supper. Sora and Riku went off without Kairi, as she had forgotten to do something. The trio of best friends went and started to play in the sand. Gizmo and Mizu went their own way, while Luna and Nova, chatted a bit before branching off also. Chase followed Selphie, wondering why she always went off on her own, instead of hanging out with Sora and Kairi.

* * *

><p>Nova and Luna were about to set off together, intent on exploring the island. Earlier that morning they had spotted a dark tunnel opening. It was situated on one of the rock walls, near where they had slept the night before. Despite her fear of heights, Luna's curiosity overrode the feeling; the need to figure out where it went was stronger.<p>

"Hey Luna!" cried a voice behind them. Turning they were greeted by Kairi, as she jogged to catch up. "Can I bother you to help me think of a good boat name? I figured I might have a chance at winning today's race… since the boys seem kind of tired." She explained.

"Um…Okay… How about-" Luna paused, giving a look to Nova. Catching the look they grinned. "Crusader!" they both exclaimed at once, beaming at the other.

"Okay! Thanks you two!" Kairi lightly laughed as she left to meet with her two friends. The two girls turned and continued their original destination. They talked and laughed at random things along the way.

* * *

><p>Waves crashed lazily upon the light colored sand. Soft laughter filled the air as three teenagers surrounded a growing sand structure.<p>

"Dyne! You have to build the wall higher!" cried out the violet haired girl, as she lugged a bucket full of wet sand over. "We have to make a good defense against the water" she stated. Grabbing her wet cement form the bucket, she used them to reinforce the walls. Nodding, Dyne added more moist sand to what would become the keep, before going back to the walls and fixing them. The trio of the group spent the rest of their day building a grand sand castle. One that would make their friends gasp in awe.

* * *

><p>Cool gentle breezes ruffled dark grey hair playfully as the owner dozed peacefully against a tall coconut tree. Soft rhythmic crunching noises were steadily rising in volume, accompanied by slightly labored breathes.<p>

"Gizmo! Gizmo! C'mon~!" I have something great to show you! Hurry, Hurry!" exclaimed an excited Mizu, her bubblegum curls bounced around merrily. The dark haired boy blinked sleepily, as he blearily looked up at her. His eyes opened in shock as the clearly, smaller girl yanked him to his feet. Running, the small female dragged the still waking boy, past the trio, whose sand castle was taking on a very nice feature.

Mizu pulled him towards the waterfall pool, and pulled back some hanging vines, to reveal a small opening in the wall. Motioning for him to go in first, he got on his knees and crawled in. A dimly lit cave met his gaze. Numerous vines and large roots came down from the ceiling of the tunnel. Two small hands firmly placed themselves onto his back and started to push him forward.

"This isn't the best part. It's more inside!" she quietly exclaimed. Reaching the end of the tunnel the boy stared in awe.

"Whoa…" came his excited whisper. At the end of the tunnel was a small cave. Foliage draped the walls here and there, with etched drawings in between. Light filtered from an opening at the top of the cave. "This place reminds me of one of those tribal caves at home…" commented Gizmo. Hearing a scratching noise, he turned to see that his friend was drawing small figures unto one of the somewhat large boulders that littered the cave floor. Following her lead, he picked up one of the larger rocks from the ground and helped Mizu draw the rest of their rag-tag group of friends.

Little fancy fonts were drawn out for each name, along with a symbol representing the persons signature item. As they finished, Mizu wrote out a name to call the little group by. "What? Why Messiah?" questioned Gizmo, as he put some finishing touches onto one of the pictures.

"I wanted our drawn selves to be heroes! See? How I drew Raven with a spear and Blaz with a magical staff and everyone else too!" she declared smiling happily as she started drawing flowers in between the other drawings.

Finishing with the drawing on the boulder, Gizmo went to pull the bubbly girl away just before she drew some flowers around a picture of a boy and girl. "C'mon Mizu, let's go practice that swordplay they taught us today, or something." The boy sighed, as he dragged a dejected girl behind him.

"Aww…but it's so much fun…" she quietly protested.

* * *

><p>Cawing of sea birds could clearly be heard on the wind. Two figures stood on a platform situated next to a wooden structure. Near them were the beginnings of a bridge. Both were waiting for their third member.<p>

"Hey, if I win, ahh~ I'm captain!" started the dark spiky haired boy, gesturing to himself. Looking over to the boy he stood next to, he continued. "And if you win-"

"I get to share a paopu with Kairi." interrupted Riku in a serious manner.

"Huh!" cried Sora incredulously, as he turned to face Riku.

The taller boy, too, turned to look at the other. "Deal? The winner gets to share a paopu with Kairi." A playful lilt underlined his tone.

"Wha…Wait a minute…" Sora looked off to the side, an unsure look passing over his face.

"I have a feeling that she'll want to race too, this time around…" Riku started. "To tell you the truth, I'm pretty tired." His shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, I am too…" Sora agreed, changing his stance into one that was more comfortable. "Shall we just let her win?" he inquired, looking over to the other boy.

"We will." Replied the taller male a mischievous grin fixed itself on his features. "But, she's going to have to work for it." He affirmed. Realizing what he had meant, Sora smiled widely. The smirks of the two boys were quickly wiped away as the girl they were waiting for burst through the doors behind them.

"Okay guys, I'm ready! I want to race today as well." She expressed, giving them wide pleading eyes.

Shooting each other knowing looks, Sora affirmed. "Sure Kairi, just as long as you understand that we won't be going easy on you." He specified, as he prepared for the race.

"I understand…" she complied. A slightly crestfallen look crossed her face. Maybe this wouldn't be as easy as she had originally thought. "Okay, on three!" she confirmed, as they all got into ready positions. Taking a leaf out of Mizu's book, she decided to forgo the countdown. "THREE!" she shouted, gaining a head start. Looking to each other, the two boys laughed as they followed the giggling girl up ahead.

* * *

><p>"C'mon Luna! Almost there." Encouraged the monkey tailed girl wearing a puffy, red hat that had a huge button with a X on the stitching. Taking one of the other female's hands, she helped pull her up to the semi-small square tunnel they had wanted to explore. There was no way Luna was going to jump of the coconut tree stationed, right across from the hole in the wall. That's why they went in search of things to climb on that were easily carried. Together they had scrounged up a few empty crates and barrels to stack.<p>

Standing at the mouth of the cave the scarf wearing girl held out her hand waiting expectantly, as the other girl started at it confused. "We'll hold hands~ That way we don't lose each other. And then we can run our free hands along the walls, to see if there are any extra tunnels or something." supplied Luna, a big smile crossing her features. A fond smile crossed Nova's face as she nodded and interlaced her fingers with Luna's, both taking steps into the dark tunnel.

"Well, at least there aren't any of those creepy, looming shadow things trying to reach out to us. Like that one time my cousin locked us in that huge dark freezer…" sighed Luna relieved.

"That's true, it's just all black now, right?" asked the other girl, as they continued their trek.

"Yup, mostly. I can see these sparkly, glittering stuff all over the place." The bunny-eared hat wearer observed.

"What…? I don't see any of that stuff…It's just black to me." stated the tail wearer, skeptically.

"Oh…I guess that's just me then…I wish you could see them though~ they remind me of little speckles of light, like the stars in the night sky!" Luna quietly exclaimed. "Ya know…I've been wondering why this place is called Destiny Islands. Wouldn't you question it also?" she asked, turning to face the other girl despite the darkness that prevented them from seeing each other.

"I do, but there's no use dwelling on it. We're still not too sure on where we are yet." chastised the slightly shorter female.

"Mmm…I guess you're right. The only way to go is forward!" grinned the sky blue eyed girl. Continuing on, they were eventually able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Tugging on Nova's hand, Luna exclaimed. "C'mon! The exit's close!"

"Wait, Luna! It's Dark we might-!" a scuffling sound was heard. The sudden disappearance of the obviously excited girls hand confirmed the action. That and the fluttering shadow at the mouth of the tunnel. "-trip…" she finished to no one in particular. Sighing she continued her way to the exit.

* * *

><p><em>Upon reaching the star tree checkpoint, a flicker of light caught my attention at the mouth of the tunnel, which was right next to the star tree. Next thing I knew the dark-haired girl with the rabbit hat, Luna, came flying out! Her eyes were clenched shut and her arms were held out in front of her braced for impact. The force of her flight sent both of us onto the ground. "You okay?" I laughed; as her eyes shot wide open, like it did earlier today at lunch. Pushing herself away, she started to apologize profusely. It was a little hard to understand considering the fact that it was in bits and pieces.<em>

"_I-I'm sorry! Nova and I- we were exploring the tunnel. She tried to warn me, but I didn't listen. Then I tripped, a-and flew! A-and then! KSHEW!" she exclaimed hastily, clapping her hands together, to signify our collision._

"_Good thing I was here then, huh? You could have fallen a ways down." I said, watching as she took notice of where she was. Fear seemed to saturate her being as she moved to clutch the protruding trunk of the star tree. _

"_She's afraid of heights…" a voice sounded near the tunnel opening. Nova stood there, a light annoyed look on her face. "You should go and finish your race. I can take her back from here. We just wanted to see where the tunnel leaded to." She nodded reassuringly. _

"_It's okay, this let's me have a legitimate reason for losing. C'mon, let's help her down." I suggested looking at the girl with the irrational fear of heights. _

_With a little nudging and encouragement from Nova and I, we were able to get the timid girl down from the high perch. She calmed down considerably once her feet touched solid ground. As they accompanied me back to the start line, the two made up random stories about what could have happened. They included the possibility of flying and the ability to see in the dark, and other nearly impossible things to imagine. The ideas were so ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh along with them. We greeted Sora and Kairi with fascinating explanations, before Sora went off to finish his list of things to do. I stayed with the girls and just relaxed. _

* * *

><p>Kairi was finishing off her good luck charm, when Luna came into view. "Ne, Kairi? Do you think you could teach me how to make that too?" she asked, turning a hopeful gaze to the red haired girl.<p>

"Sure, you might need some supplies though…I have some extra shells, but not enough string, and you also need something to put in the middle." She said, gathering her extra shells. Rummaging through her bag, Luna procured a somewhat large box, labeled 'craft things'. Opening it, they saw a variety of knick knacks. From it Luna pulled out some leather string, a few beads, and a charm. The charm was in the shape of a crescent moon, with a rabbit in the inside curved part. Once everything needed was taken out, Kairi instructed the other girl on how to put the pieces together. "According to legend, sailors used to make charms out of these, thalassa shells to bring good luck and ensure a safe voyage." She commented, putting the finishing touches on her charm as Luna started on hers.

"Hey! Are you guys making cookies?" exclaimed the almost forgotten girl. Placing her nose near the beginnings of Luna's charm, she took a sniff. "Aww…can't you guys make some yummy treats instead?" asked a pleading Nova.

Laughing Luna pointed to her bag. "There's some green tea cake in there if you like." She stated. Turning around, the bunny lover offered some to Riku, who was reclined against a tree, content with just enjoying the view. As Nova successfully pulled out a few cakes, recognition flashed briefly though Riku's eyes. Nodding in acceptance, he received a treat, and slowly ate it, relishing in its taste.

* * *

><p>Upon entering the cave, Sora noticed right away the new drawings, upon the boulder near the entrance. Smiling warmly, he picked up one of the rocks littering the floor, he wrote 'The weirdest friends ever' above them. when he was finished, he turned to the picture of a younger him and a seemingly messy haired girl. Thinking back to when they were younger, the spiky haired boy remembered how he and Kairi ad drawn each other. Sitting on the ground, he started to draw something in. In the finished product, the drawn version of himself was now offering a paopu fruit to the girl.<p>

Hearing a shuffling noise bhind him, the boy gasped before quickly getting to his feet. "Wh-Who's there?" turning he came face to face with a dark hooded figure.

"I've come to see the door to this world." Rumbled a deep mysterious voice, sending shivers down his spine.

"Huh?" asked Sora

"This world has been connected." continued the cloaked figure.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" stuttered the boy.

"Tied to the darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed." The figure went on, as if Sora wasn't saying anything at all.

"Well, whoever you are, stop freaking me out like this!" exclaimed the smaller male. Who by now was able to gain just a bit of courage to stand up to the stranger. "Huh? Wh-where did you come from?" he questioned, just realizing that there was no notice of this person's entry, until he had heard the shuffling noise.

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door." chastised the person.

"So, you're from another world!" realized Sora.

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little." said the mysterious figure, ignoring all of the smaller male's outbursts.

"Oh yeah? Well you'll see. I'm going to get out and learn what's out there!" the boy cried out, a determined look on his face, gesturing widely with his hands.

"A meaningless effort." The stranger paused. "One, who knows nothing, can understand nothing." He stated as Sora glanced towards the door. Turning back the spiky haired boy realized that the mysterious, cloaked figure had disappeared.


End file.
